Ammunition

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on researching enhanced blast munitions; what orders have been made for them; and what plans there are for future procurement of the munitions.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence has current research programmes relevant to enhanced blast munitions valued at approximately £10 million, spread over more than five years. These are to investigate the underlying science and are aimed at the assessment of the threat to UK armed forces, what protection is appropriate, and the advantage of incorporation of such technology into weapons.
	The MOD has one programme which incorporates enhanced blast technology, the Anti Structures Munition (ASM), as announced by my predecessor on 6 February 2006,  Official Report, column 34WS, due to enter service at the end of 2009. It will enable infantry to defeat hardened structures such as buildings or bunkers, reducing casualties to our forces while minimising collateral damage. In the interim an 'off the shelf system has been procured until the ASM becomes available. There are currently no plans for future procurement of enhanced blast munitions.

Armed Forces: Desertion

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel classed as being absent without leave since 1997 have not yet been accounted for.

Bob Ainsworth: The numbers of personnel who have gone absent without leave from the Services since 1 January 1997 and remain so are, as at 23 July 2007:
	Navy: 30
	Army: 1,175
	RAF: 15
	These figures are rounded to the nearest five. They are subject to daily changes as individuals return to their units.
	There is no evidence to suggest that operational commitments or any other factors are causing a significant increase. There are a number of reasons why personnel may go AWOL but anecdotal evidence suggests that most incidents are caused by domestic circumstances e.g. family problems, rather than any wish to avoid military service.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the suitability of 36 Grays Lane, Headley Court for temporary service family accommodation.

Derek Twigg: The generous offer by the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association—Forces Help (SSAFA—Forces Help) to use this property in Ashtead to provide short-term accommodation for families visiting relatives who are being treated at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), Headley Court is very welcome. DMRC staff have advised that the accommodation, with minor alterations to facilitate access, will be entirely suitable for the proposed purpose.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will support the Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Families Association in its application to the local council to make alterations to its property in Ashtead, Surrey, for armed forces' families visiting Headley Court.

Derek Twigg: As I made clear on a recent visit to Headley Court, when I opened a new ward, I am most grateful for the Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA)—Forces Help's offer to provide a property for the short-term accommodation of families visiting relatives being treated there.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to  (a) support and  (b) accommodate service families when visiting injured relatives at Headley Court.

Derek Twigg: Family visits are an integral part of the rehabilitation of injured Service personnel being treated at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Headley Court.
	The staff at Headley Court welcome such visits. The unit meets appropriate travel and subsistence costs, including overnight accommodation if it is in the patient's interests to have their family close by. In addition to local hotels, accommodation currently available to visiting families includes Pigeon House, a four-bedroom house in the Headley Court grounds, and Dale View, a converted three-bedroom Service married quarter.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department made of the NHS's requirement for  (a) psychologists,  (b) psychiatrists,  (c) mental health nurses and  (d) occupational therapists in (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Derek Twigg: The requirement for uniformed consultant psychiatrists and mental health nurses on 1 April 2006 and 1 April 2007 are shown as follows:
	
		
			   Service consultant psychiatrists  Service mental health nurses 
			 2006 26 113 
			 2007 28 123 
			  Source: DMSD quarterly manning return 1 April 2006/March 2007 PPSG. 
		
	
	As stated in my answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1985-88W, the armed forces no longer employ uniformed psychologists and mental health occupational therapists, but MOD does employ civilian clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health nurses. The required numbers for these grades are not held centrally. I will write to the hon. Member with these figures once they have been collated and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Temporary Accommodation

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service families have been placed by Modern Housing Solutions in  (a) Premier Travel inns and  (b) other hotels in each year since 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Housing Prime Contract was awarded to Modern Housing Solutions on 14 November 2005 and was rolled out in January 2006. The number of families placed in Premier Travel inns and other hotels since 1 January 2006 are shown as follows:
	
		
			   Premier Travel inns  Other hotels 
			 2006 9 46 
			 Up to 30 June 2007 7 23 
		
	
	Hotels are provided where service families need to be away, for a short period, from their SFA while repairs are carried out.

Atomic Weapons Establishment: Sales

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards the Government have put in place to ensure that  (a) national security and  (b) sensitive design and manufacture systems are safeguarded from foreign powers following the auction of the Government stake in the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

Bob Ainsworth: As indicated by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in his written statement to the House on 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1WS, as part of the process of the sale of British Nuclear Group's share in AWE Management Limited (AWEML), the Government will be seeking to ensure the enduring performance of AWEML in continuing to meet the requirements of its customer, the Ministry of Defence.
	Such performance covers all aspects of work at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, with particular emphasis on the protection of national security and warhead design information, which are paramount considerations. We shall be applying a strict set of criteria in order to establish the acceptability of prospective purchasers before finalising an agreed shortlist of potential bidders. All factors will be taken into account in our analysis.

Departments: Recruitment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Department paid in fees to recruitment agencies for  (a) temporary and  (b) permanent staff in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The information requested on how much the Department paid in fees to recruitment agencies for temporary workers and permanent staff in each year since 1997, is not held centrally. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ex-servicemen: Mental Health Services

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria have been established for assessing the success of the Community Based Mental Health Service for Veterans pilot scheme; what the cost is for  (a) the national roll-out of the service and  (b) the pilots; and what alternatives for the delivery of the service have been considered.

Derek Twigg: A process and outcome evaluation of the pilots over their two-year duration is an integral part of the project. The key measures, advised by national clinical experts, will be the assessment and treatment regimes provided, and the patient (and carer) experience and outcomes.
	The costs of running the pilot scheme are not yet available as negotiations for the funding of individual sites are still continuing between the MOD, Department of Health and NHS trusts. The cost of rolling out the scheme nationwide will depend on the outcomes of the pilots.
	The proposed service is advised by clinical and health care experts and reflects the long established intention that veterans' health care is primarily a matter for the NHS. Using NHS best practice and processes, veterans-sensitive evidence-based interventions will be delivered by public, private or charitable providers. These will be modified as necessary in the light of the pilot evaluation.
	In addition, we have recently announced the expansion of our Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) based at St. Thomas' Hospital, London, to include assessment of veterans with mental health symptoms with operational service from 1982 (including veterans of the Falklands campaign). The clinician in charge is a recently retired service military psychiatrist, who will provide support and advice to GPs and other civilian health professionals where the individual is concerned that the service background of their condition may not have been understood within the NHS or where the health professional is seeking expertise on the assessment or treatment of a veteran's condition.

Iraq-Kuwait Conflict: Gulf War Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the case for establishing a public inquiry to examine illnesses resulting from the Gulf War; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: It has been the Government's policy since 1997 to be open and transparent about Gulf veterans' issues, including the publication of all relevant documents. We have identified and published the lessons of the past, accepting that mistakes were made in 1990-91, particularly with regard to medical record keeping. The Government's view is that there are no substantive issues to be addressed by a public inquiry and that, in particular, it would not help to resolve the long outstanding issue of why veterans are ill; only scientific research might do this. We have funded a substantial programme of research designed to address the key candidate causes so far put forward, but recognising that it would not be sensible to duplicate work being undertaken elsewhere.

Military Bases: Germany

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Standard  (a) 1,  (b) 2,  (c) 3 and  (d) 4 accommodation units there are at UK bases in Germany.

Derek Twigg: Service Families Accommodation (SFA) and Single Living Accommodation (SLA) in Germany is assessed by Grade for Charge (rather than Standard for Condition which is used in Great Britain).
	On that basis, the total number of SFA and SLA by Grade are as follows:
	
		
			   Germany 
			   SFA  SLA 
			 Grade 1 2,101 1,658 
			 Grade 2 5,376 1,354 
			 Grade 3 4,743 3,475 
			 Grade 4 982 9,782 
			 Total 13,202 16,269 
		
	
	Grade for Charge is broken down on amenities and location. Grade for Charge 1 would be accommodation that is close to all amenities. Grade 4 would be properties further away. This differs from standard for conditions which relates to the physical condition of the property.

Navy: Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the  (a) destroyers,  (b) frigates and  (c) attack submarines (i) currently deployed and (ii) available for short-notice deployment with the fleet.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 25 July 2007
	As at 19 July 2007, the following vessels were deployed:
	 Destroyers:
	HMS Manchester
	HMS Edinburgh
	HMS Southampton
	HMS York
	 Frigates:
	HMS Cornwall
	HMS Kent
	HMS Monmouth
	HMS Portland
	HMS Richmond
	HMS Montrose
	 Attack Submarines:
	The general policy is that we do not discuss submarine operations. Fleet Attack Submarines (SSN) are on patrols in various locations.
	As my predecessor made clear in his letter of 6 March 2007 a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, it is not MOD policy to publish details of the readiness states of individual RN vessels or types. I am not prepared, therefore, to provide details of vessels available for short-notice deployments.

Navy: Warships

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with planning for the use of dual crews for warships; and in respect of which classes of warships it is being considered.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 25 July 2007
	The Royal Navy is conducting trials and experimentation programmes to help determine optimal manning solutions, both in the short and mid to longer term, that will maximise the contribution to Defence by enabling ships to remain deployed for extended periods, while minimising the impact on personnel. These programmes include swapping ship's companies of HMS Edinburgh and HMS Exeter (Type 42 destroyers), and several Mine Counter Measure Vessels; and providing temporary relief for some personnel on the extended deployment of HMS Sutherland and HMS Monmouth (Type 23 frigates). The trials are continuing.

Peace Keeping Operations

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many repatriation of bodies have occurred  (a) via RAF Brize Norton and  (b) via RAF Lyneham in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   RAF Brize Norton  RAF Lyneham 
			 2003 53 0 
			 2004 38 0 
			 2005 16 14 
			 2006 64 0 
			 2007 (as at 20 July) 15 36 
			 Total 186 50 
		
	
	In answering this question, it has become apparent that some of the figures provided in response to your parliamentary question of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1359W, were incorrect.
	Unfortunately there were errors in the source documentation for the 2004, 2005 and 2007 figures for repatriations held by Headquarters Air Command. A figure for 2005 was inadvertently reflected in 2004. Also, the figures for 2006 did not include the 14 personnel who were killed in the Nimrod XV230 crash in September 2006. This was because the repatriation ceremony for these personnel was held at RAF Kinloss, but because their bodies were repatriated through, and returned to, RAF Brize Norton, with hindsight they should have been included.

RAF Personnel Management Agency: Finance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) initial resource provision,  (b) in-year variation and  (c) resource outturn was for the RAF Personnel Management Agency in each financial year since 1997.

Bob Ainsworth: The RAF Personnel Management Agency relinquished Government agency status at the start of financial year 2004-05, therefore budgetary information for that agency is only available up to financial year 2003-04.
	The resource outturn for financial years 1997-98 to 2003-04 can be found in the RAF Personnel Management Agency annual report and accounts, which are available in the Library of the House.
	The figures for initial resource provision and in-year variations are not held.

Territorial Army: Recruitment

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of Territorial Army (TA) posts which will not be filled as a result of the decision to freeze recruiting in some TA units; and what proportion of TA manpower this represents;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1769W, on reserve forces: recruitment, which Territorial Army units have a recruitment freeze; and what the  (a) establishment and  (b) current manning level is of each, broken down by (i) rank and (ii) appointment.

Bob Ainsworth: It is not possible to provide the information requested as the details of measures limiting the strength of selected Territorial Army units have not yet been finalised. However, I can assure the hon. Member that a rigorous process involving a wide range of army stakeholders is currently assessing the likely impact of these measures and ensuring that coherence and effectiveness are maintained. I will write to the hon. Member with the results of that process once complete and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Type 45 Destroyers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there has been a change in the intention to build eight Type-45 Destroyers.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 25 July 2007
	No decision has yet been made to order the seventh and eighth Type 45 destroyers. A number of factors will be taken into account as part of the decision making process, including affordability, value for money, and the wider context of the defence industrial strategy.

Adult Education

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what change there has been in the number of adult learning courses in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for South-West Norfolk (Mr. Fraser).

Apprenticeships

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships were  (a) started and  (b) finished in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006.

David Lammy: In the 1996/97 academic year 70,100 apprentices started. Information on framework completions was not collected at that time. In the 2005/06 academic year, 171,300 apprentices started and 99,000 completed the full framework.

Apprenticeships

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to increase the number of people applying for adult apprenticeships.

David Lammy: The continuing expansion of Apprenticeships provision, for both young people and adults, is a priority for the Government. Currently around one third of apprentices are aged 19-24, and evidence from recent trials of 25+ apprenticeships suggests that they can be a useful method of learning for some people. Therefore the Leaning and Skills Council (LSC) is making available £16.7 million in 2007-08 to fund 8,000 additional places for this age group.
	The Government will naturally encourage and support employers, LSC and Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) in their normal promotion practices to recruit adult apprentices to fill the 8,000 places.
	The Government are also supporting the LSC in its new skills campaign 'Our future. It's in our hands' launched on 9 July. This campaign is aimed at improving the skills of the nation and will include the promotion of adult apprenticeships.

Science and Innovation

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what progress has been made on the Government's 10 year strategy on science and innovation published in 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Government published its third Annual Report on the Science and Innovation Investment Framework on Monday (23 July). The report shows that over the last year there has been continued, good progress in implementing the Government's challenging vision for science and innovation.

Apprentices: Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many apprenticeships there were in Westmorland and Lonsdale in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). There were 440 learners on apprenticeships and 250 on advanced apprenticeships in Westmorland and Lonsdale parliamentary constituency (based on home post code of the learner) in 2005/06. Comparable figures for 2006/07 will not be available until December 2007.
	 Source:
	Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Work Based Learning (WBL) Individualised Learner Record (ILR).
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

Young People: Training

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the provision of youth training opportunities in the public sector.

David Lammy: Around a third of the current total of 250,000 Apprenticeships are being delivered in the public sector. We want to expand Apprenticeships to meet Lord Leitch's ambition for 500,000 apprentices in learning in the UK (400,000 in England) by 2020. I will be speaking to my ministerial colleagues about this over the coming weeks.

Departments: Official Hospitality

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many receptions were held at Gwydyr House in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: The following is a breakdown of the number of receptions hosted year on year in Gwydyr House:
	
		
			   Receptions 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 6 
			 2006 5 
			 2007 4

National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) Order 2007

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the draft National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) Order 2007 to be laid before the House.

Peter Hain: The proposed draft order was placed in the Vote Office and Libraries of the House today, 26 July 2007. Copies can also be downloaded via the Wales Office website.

Official Report: Paper

Andrew George: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate he has made of the amount of paper required to distribute copies of the  Official Report to all hon. and right hon. Members' Westminster and constituency offices during a sitting week.

Nick Harvey: Copies of the daily part of the  Official Report are not distributed to all hon. and right hon. Members' offices. 252 copies are distributed to the offices or other addresses of those hon. and right hon. members who have specifically requested such a distribution by completing a sessional demand form.
	In all an average of 1758 copies of the  Official Report are produced daily. The total amount of paper, including run-up, waste and trimmings, used in the production of the daily part of the Official Report during a typical sitting week of four sitting days is approximately 3 tonnes. The 252 copies distributed on request to the Members' offices equate to an amount of paper of just under 450 Kgs.

Coal: Sulphur

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will undertake research into the sulphur content of coal mined in the United Kingdom.

Malcolm Wicks: Information about the typical sulphur content of UK coal reserves is readily available in a range of technical publications. In addition Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regulations require regular sampling and analysis of the sulphur content of coal being used in processes within their scope, such as electricity generation, with the amalgamated reported data being published by the Environment Agency. This is in addition to any sampling carried out by UK producers and their customers to ensure that shipments comply with contract terms.

Electricity: Energy Supply

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations his Department has made to electricity providers on disruptions to the electricity supply in the last three years.

Malcolm Wicks: Electrical inspectors in my department receive reports of significant interruptions to electricity supply and investigate incidents if the circumstances are warranted. For example inspectors looked into the interruptions at Hurst, London, in October 2006 (National Grid - transformer failure); Carnaby Street, London, in July 2006 (EdF—transformer and underground cable failure); in southern Scotland in March 2006 (storm impact); at Bournemouth in November 2005 (Southern Electricity—fire affecting overhead power line); at Carlisle in January 2005 (United Utilities—substation flooded); and at Birmingham in February 2004 (Aquila now Central Networks—fire in cable tunnel).
	Inspectors also look into circumstances of specific localised power failures affecting individual customers, if problems remain unresolved.
	My officials also liaise closely with electricity companies on an ongoing basis to ensure arrangements are in place to handle large scale emergency situations.

Electricity: Energy Supply

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what records his Department keeps of disruptions to the electricity supply.

Malcolm Wicks: My Department maintains records of significant interruptions to electricity supply in GB.
	These are reported to BERR in accordance with regulation 32 of the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 as amended. Electricity transmission and distribution companies are required to report incidents affecting 20 MW of demand or more for more than three minutes, or 5 MW of demand or more for more than one hour, or 5,000 customers or more for more than one hour.

Electricity: Meters

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will have a meeting with the gas and electricity suppliers, smart meter manufacturers and environmental stakeholders including Energywatch and the Carbon Trust to discuss the Government's plans for smart meters.

Malcolm Wicks: My Department has had, and will continue to have further discussion on its proposals for smart meters with a range of interested parties, including energy suppliers, metering manufacturers and environmental stakeholders. The Government have also indicated that they will consult on the implementation of proposals in the context of their ambition to see a roll-out of smart meters within 10 years.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness with the public and business of obligations and responsibilities relating to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The WEEE regulations place a number of obligations on producers and retailers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) to provide information to consumers as to how best they can dispose of their WEEE to help protect the environment. From 1 July consumers are receiving information from retailers when they buy a new item of electrical equipment on how they can do this.
	A number of trade associations have been helping to raise awareness among their members. The Department has organised roadshows, seminars, mailouts as well as press and publicity in national, regional and trade publications. Further briefing events will be taking place in September across the UK for small businesses.

Energy Development Unit

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what measures are in place in the Energy Development Unit to govern gifts and hospitality provided by energy companies; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the total value is of gifts and hospitality received by the Energy Development Unit from energy companies in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: All civil servants in BERR are required to follow the Department's guidance on the acceptance of hospitality and gifts, set out in the staff handbook.
	The guidance recognises that, in the business world, hospitality is a common and well established means of maintaining working relationships and conducting business and that, in these circumstances, civil servants may accept it where the issues of propriety and possible conflicts of interest have been properly considered.
	Under this guidance, a gifts and hospitality register was established in 1998, on which is registered all gifts over £10 in value and all material hospitality accepted.
	The register was not set up to record the estimated value of gifts or hospitality until 2001 and the guidance does not require estimates to be entered where they may not be known or meaningful, for instance in the case of lunches or dinners. The following table shows the total of the values recorded between 2001 and 22 July 2007, and the percentage of entries where no value was given.
	
		
			  Value of gifts and hospitality received from energy companies: 2001-07 
			  Year  Value recorded (£)  Percentage that were not given a value 
			 2001 2,242 74 
			 2002 1,741 65 
			 2003 612 71 
			 2004 1,442 51 
			 2005 1,313 54 
			 2006 3,403 32 
			 2007(1) 1,626 38 
			 (1) To 22 July

Export Controls

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans the Government have to tighten end-use controls over the re-export of UK supplies components as part of their review of export control legislation.

Malcolm Wicks: As the hon. Member is aware, I announced on 18 June 2007 a review of the export control legislation introduced in 2004 under the Export Control Act 2002. This includes a public consultation which seeks comments on the impact and effectiveness of the legislation and whether there is a need to change or enhance the controls.
	In these circumstances I am unable to comment substantively on the potential for changes to the controls as this would risk pre-judging the outcome of the review. However, the consultation document includes options for amending the Military End Use Control, which currently applies in specified circumstances to components that are not controlled elsewhere in the legislation.
	Where items that are being exported are licensable under current UK export control legislation, all known relevant factors, including whether the items are for incorporation into other equipment for re-export to a third country, are taken into account when assessing licence applications. Where it is clear that military goods will be re-exported or that the equipment into which they are incorporated will be re-exported to a country covered by a full scope military arms embargo, then the application for those items will be refused under the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
	Respondents to the consultation will be able to provide their views, reasoning and evidence on this issue, as well as raising any other areas where they believe that the Government should consider changing the controls.

Housing: South East Region

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations the South East England Development Agency has made to the South East England Regional Assembly on the level of the yearly house building target in the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Stephen Timms: Following the South East England regional assembly's adoption of housing growth options in October 2004, SEEDA commissioned work to explore the needs of the region's economy. This identified that maintaining present economic growth rates would require up to 45,000 new houses per annum, and that improvements in productivity and economic activity rates could reduce this requirement to 34,800 new houses per year while maintaining overall growth rates.
	On the basis of this work (which was published by SEEDA), SEEDA's board agreed in March 2005 a response to the Regional Spatial Strategy consultation draft (published in April 2005) which made the case for a minimum average level of housing growth of 34,800 units per year 2006-26. The regional assembly adopted a proposed profile of 32,000 units per annum for 2006-11 and 36,000 units per annum for 2011-26.
	Once the draft RSS was published in April 2006, SEEDA's board reconsidered the evidence at its June 2006 meeting and reaffirmed its support for the housing growth levels given above.
	On this basis, SEEDA submitted written objections to the draft RSS which were considered by the Panel of Inspectors at the Examination in Public (October 2006-March 2007).

Manufacturing Industries: Balance of Trade

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the latest annual figure is for the trade deficit in manufacturing; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce it.

Stephen Timms: The Office for National Statistics estimates that the UK trade deficit in manufactures (Standard International Trade Classification sections 5 to 8) was about £51.9 billion in 2006 on a balance of payments basis.
	The Government are strongly committed to the development of a high value modern manufacturing sector which competes effectively in global markets. We have been successful in providing a stable macro-economic framework in which business can prosper and grow and are taking action through the manufacturing strategy to enable manufacturers to move to high value-added production through the application of science and innovation and the development of world class skills.

Nuclear Power Stations

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral answer of 4 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 954-5, whether the Government have made a decision to build new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Before we make a decision on nuclear, we are committed to consulting. Our nuclear consultation was published on the 23 May. The Government have a preliminary view that it would be in the public interest to give energy companies the option to consider nuclear alongside other forms of low carbon electricity generation, but has not made a decision.
	The Government will consider all responses as part of the consultation and will make a decision later this year after, and in the light of the consultation.

Renewables Obligation

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect of the renewables obligation on carbon dioxide emissions.

Malcolm Wicks: Between 2002-03, when the RO was introduced, and 2005-06 the latest date figures are available from Ofgem, the RO was responsible for 37.9 TWh of generation from renewable sources. This amounts to a saving of 5.2 MtC.
	Work by Oxera, published alongside the consultation on banding the RO on 23 May 2007, suggests that unchanged, the RO is estimated to save 90.6 MtC over its lifetime (until 2026/27).
	Renewables generation assets, such as wind farms, which have been built to take advantage of the RO will continue in operation after the RO has come to an end, providing further savings beyond 2026-27.

Severn Barrage

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with  (a) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,  (b) the Wild Fowl and Wetlands Trust and  (c) the wildlife trusts on the proposal to build a Severn tidal barrage.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 24 July 2007
	There is no specific proposal at present to build a Severn barrage, so I have not had any discussions with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) or any of the wildlife trusts on this issue.
	However, the Sustainable Development Commission, with financial support from various parties including my Department, is undertaking a major study of tidal power in the UK. The study is looking at various options for harnessing the potential tidal energy resource that exists around the UK, including within the Severn estuary.
	The study has included a programme of stakeholder and public engagement, as part of which the SDC has held discussions with the RSPB and the statutory conservation agencies. The SDC's final report is expected to be published in September and further details of the study can be seen at:
	www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/tidal.html.

Severn Barrage

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will ask the Sustainable Development Commission to take evidence from hon. and right hon. Members representing constituencies in the areas around the river Severn as part of its study of tidal power in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 24 July 2007
	A central part of the Sustainable Development Commission's (SDC) work has been a public and stakeholder engagement programme. Although not aimed exclusively at Members for the Severn region constituencies, a stakeholder workshop held in Cardiff and an online forum on the SDC website have provided Members with the opportunity to contribute to the study.
	Given the study is now at an advanced stage and with the final report expected in September, I am doubtful whether the SDC would find it reasonably practicable to accommodate such a request. However, Members are free to approach the SDC directly with whom any decision on whether or not to accept further representations rests.
	It is worth pointing out that were any specific development proposal taken forward, significant public consultation would be required.

Shipping

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will  (a) initiate and  (b) evaluate research on the effect on the UK economy of the diminishing size of the UK merchant navy's (i) number of British-registered ships, (ii) number of UK merchant navy officers and (iii) UK maritime skills base; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	Government reports and statistics monitor changes in the UK Merchant Navy and the effect of these changes on the UK economy on a regular basis. The Department for Transport's (DfT) annual "Maritime Statistics" records the size of the UK merchant fleet.
	In recent years, the UK registered fleet has not been diminishing, as the hon. gentleman suggests. Between December 1997 and March 2007 the number of UK registered ships increased by over a quarter to over 1,900 (of which 1,459 are merchant vessels), while their deadweight capacity increased four fold from 3.5 million tonnes to 14 million tonnes.
	DfT has commissioned London Metropolitan University to produce an annual assessment of the number of UK Merchant Navy officers, ratings, and new trainees, published in "United Kingdom Seafarers Analysis". DfT has also commissioned two studies from Cardiff University in 1996 and 2003 on "The UK economy's requirements for people with experience of working at sea". In addition, Inland Revenue and DfT produced a "Post-Implementation Review of Tonnage Tax" in 2004.

Abortion: Private Sector

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the independent sector places which applied to be registered with the Healthcare Commission to perform abortions in each of the last 12 months; how many applications were  (a) accepted and  (b) rejected; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Healthcare Commission had three new applications from independent sector places to register for the termination of pregnancy between July 2006 and the end of June 2007. The applications have yet to be determined and therefore remain commercial in confidence.

Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement by the Minister of State on 15 May 2007,  Official Report, column 203WH, on the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, who the Minister of State has met; and which further stakeholders she plans to meet.

Dawn Primarolo: As the ministerial reshuffle occurred shortly after publication of the strategy and recess is now imminent, no ministerial meetings with alcohol stakeholders have taken place since the strategy was published. However early meetings are being sought by industry organisations, and ministers would expect to meet with them, non government organisation such as Alcohol Concern and senior medical representatives.

Alcoholic Drinks: Health Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to incorporate alcohol monitoring in the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

Ben Bradshaw: As part of the ongoing development of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), indicators and clinical areas will be reviewed in the light of the clinical evidence base. The Expert Panel which advises the QOF negotiations looks at new areas for clinical intervention by practices, in the context of, value for money and the benefits to patients.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish regular progress reports on the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.

Dawn Primarolo: The Ministerial Group on alcohol harm reduction, which is chaired jointly by myself and my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office (Vernon Coaker) will continue to monitor and manage the delivery of the priority actions and outcomes that are set out in 'Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy.'
	Information on progress against the priority actions that are detailed in 'Safe. Sensible. Social.', and links to statistical data assessing reductions in alcohol harm or changes in public awareness will be published regularly on a new Government website, the details of which will be announced in the near future.

Ambulance Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which conditions are treated by ambulance trusts as Category  (a) A and  (b) B emergencies.

Ben Bradshaw: Emergency '999' calls made to ambulance control centres are prioritised so that each can be responded to according to clinical need and receive a level of care appropriate to the patient(s) condition. In order to do this national health service ambulance trusts within England use a process of call categorisation.
	Call categorisation means that the caller is asked a series of questions about the patient. From the responses provided, the call is allocated a code (determinant). This provides a description of the caller's injury/illness and the severity of that problem. Software products are used to help call handlers triage and categorise calls, and the code allocated will depend on the software product used.
	Each determinant has been allocated a response level, by the Department, based on independent expert advice, according to the perceived severity of the determinant description. There are three response levels:
	category A applies to a call where there appears to be an immediate threat to life.
	category B identifies cases that appear to be serious in nature and require urgent assessment.
	category C identifies cases that appear to be neither immediately serious or life-threatening.
	Lists of codes for each software product, grouped by response level, are produced annually and are published on the Department of Health's website. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Ambulance Services: Manpower

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics worked for the North West Ambulance Service and its predecessors in each of the last five years; and what the projected numbers are for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of paramedics (headcount) working in the specified organisations as at 30 September each year for the period 2002 to 2006 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Specified  o rganisation  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Cumbria Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust 121 144 148 146 (1)— 
			 Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust 334 358 381 387 (1)— 
			 Lancashire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 166 198 210 232 (1)— 
			 Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS Trust 281 337 298 416 (1)— 
			 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 1,175 
			 Total of specified organisations 902 1,037 1,037 1,181 1,175 
			 (1 )Not applicable.  Source: Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census. 
		
	
	Workforce planning is a matter for individual trusts to undertake, working with their commissioners and strategic health authorities. Plans need to be, and are, regularly reviewed as circumstances change. North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust has recently provided information to the Department on projected numbers for paramedics. I understands that the trust intend to have 1,347 whole time equivalents in employment as paramedics in 2007-08, 1,361 in 2008-09 and 1,375 in 2009-10.
	In 2006, numbers of ambulance staff were collected under new, more detailed occupation codes. This included the introduction of a code for emergency care practitioners and the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust recorded 39 ECPs in 2006.
	More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total workforce figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full-time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time.

Arthritis: Young People

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatment options are available to people with juvenile arthritis.

Ivan Lewis: Those children living with juvenile arthritis are able to access a range of treatment options depending on the severity of their condition. Drugs that health professionals are able to prescribe include analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, disease modifying drugs, corticosteroids, and anti-tumour necrosis inhibitors. Surgery and joint replacement are also available for those severely affected.

Autism: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services were provided for autistic children in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally. It is for primary care trusts to decide what services to provide to their local communities.

Cancer: Anaemia

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the economic cost of working days lost due to cancer-related anaemia and fatigue.

Ann Keen: The Department has made no estimate of the economic: cost of working days lost due to cancer-related anaemia and fatigue.

Cancer: Drugs

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1437-40W, on cancer: drugs, what the date of licence in the UK was for each drug.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the date that each specific indication was authorised (information current at 24 July 2007):
	
		
			  Condition and Drugs  Date of authorisation for specific indication  Drug substance  Notes 
			 Aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma—rituximab (MabThera) Specific indication is not licensed Rituximab MabThera is licensed for the treatment of patients with CD20 positive diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 
			 Breast cancer—docetaxel (Taxotere) 28 August 2000 Docetaxel First line treatment for advanced or metastatic breast cancer 
			 Breast cancer—paclitaxel (Taxol) 27 March 2000 Paclitaxel  
			 Breast cancer bevacizumab (Avastin) 27 March 2007 Bevacizumab  
			 Breast cancer (advanced or metastatic)—lapatinib (Tyverb) Drug substance not licensed Lapatinib  
			 Breast cancer (advanced)—tratuzumab (Herceptin) 28 August 2000 Tratuzumab  
			 Breast cancer (advanced)—vinorelbine (Navelbine) 10 May 1996 Vinorelbine  
			 Breast cancer (early)—anastrozole (Arimidex) 29 October 2002 Anastrozole  
			 Breast cancer (early)—docetaxel (Taxotere) Specific indication is not licensed Docetaxel Current licence is for advanced or metastatic breast cancer 
			 Breast cancer (early)—exemastane (Aromasin) 26 August 2005 Exemastane  
			 Breast cancer (early)—letrozole (Femara) 9 September 2004 Letrozole  
			 Breast cancer (early)—paclitaxel (Taxol) Specific indication is not licensed Paclitaxel Current licence is for advanced or metastatic breast cancer 
			 Breast cancer (early)—trastuzumab (Herceptin) 22 May 2006 Trastuzumab  
			 Breast cancer (locally advanced)—capecitabine (Xeloda) 21 March 2002 Capecitabine  
			 Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia—fludarabine (Fludara) 11 August 1994 Fludarabine  
			 Chronic myeloid leukaemia—imatinib (Glivec) 7 November 2001 Imatinib  
			 Colon cancer (adjuvant)—capecitabine (Xeloda) 30 March 2005 Capecitabine  
			 Colon cancer (adjuvant)—irinotecan (Campto) Specific indication is not licensed Irinotecan Not licensed for adjuvant treatment 
			 Colon cancer (adjuvant)—oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) 18 October 2004 Oxaliplatin  
			 Colorectal cancer (advanced)==irinotecan (Campto) 14 July 1999 Irinotecan  
			 Colorectal cancer (advanced)—oxaliplatin (Eloxatin) 23 August 1999 Oxaliplatin  
			 Colorectal cancer (advanced)—ralitrexed (Tomudex) 11 August 1995 Ralitrexed  
			 Colorectal cancer (metastatic)—capecitabine (Xeloda) 2 February 2001 Capecitabine  
			 Colorectal cancer (metastatic)—tegafur + uracil (Uftoral) 5 January 2001 Tagafur + uracil  
			 Follicular lymphoma—rituximab (MabThera) 2 June 1998 Rituximab  
			 Gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GIST)—imatinib (Glivec) 7 November 2001 Imatinib  
			 Glioblastoma multiforme (recurrent)—carmustine (Gliadel) 28 September 2000 Carmustine  
			 Glioma (newly diagnosed and high-grade)—carmustine (Gliadel) 14 December 2004 Carmustine  
			 Glioma (newly diagnosed and high-grade)—temozolomide (Temodal) 21 April 2005 Temozolomide  
			 Head & neck cancer—cetuximab (Erbitux) 29 March 2006 Cetuximab  
			 Lung cancer (non small cell)—bevacizumab (Avastin) Specific indication is not licensed Bevacizumab Not licensed for lung cancers of any type 
			 Lung cancer (non small cell)—erlotinib (Tarceva) 19 September 2005 Erlotinib  
			 Lung cancer (non small cell)—gefitinib (Iressa) Not licensed Gefitinib Drug substance not licensed 
			 Lung cancer (non small cell)—pemetrexed (Alimta) 20 September 2004 Pemetrexed  
			 Lung cancer (non-small cell)—paclitaxel (Taxol) 18 November 1998 Paclitaxel  
			 Lung cancer (non-small cell) docetaxel (Taxotere) 20 January 2000 Docetaxel  
			 Lung cancer (non-small cell) gemcitabine (Gemzar) 26 April 2000 Gemcitabine  
			 Lung cancer (non-small cell) vinorelbine (Navelbine) 10 May 1996 Vinorelbine  
			 Mesothelioma pemetrexed (Alimta) 20 September 2004 Pemetrexed  
			 Metastatic breast cancer—gemcitabine (Gemzar) 25 November 2004 Gemcitabine  
			 Metastatic colorectal cancer—bevacizumab (Avastin) 12 January 2005 Bevacizumab  
			 Metastatic colorectal cancer—cetuximab (Erbitux) 24 June 2004 Cetuximab  
			 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma—rituximab (MabThera) 21 March 2002 Rituximab  
			 Ovarian cancer—paclitaxel (Taxol) 11 October 1996 (for first line treatment of advanced ovarian cancer) Paclitaxel Original licence was for second-line treatment only 
			 Ovarian cancer—pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx)  24 October 2000 Doxorubicin 
			 Ovarian cancer (advanced)— topotecan (Hycamtin) 12 November 1996 Topotecan  
			 Pancreatic cancer gemcitabine (Gemzar) 30 October 1996 Gemcitabine  
			 Pancreatic cancer—Rubetican Not licensed Rubetican Drug substance not licensed 
			 Prostate cancer Atrasentan Not licensed Atrasentan Drug substance not licensed 
			 Prostate cancer—docetaxel (Taxotere) 6 February 2004 Docetaxel  
			 Recurrent malignant glioma—temozolomide (Temodal) 20 January 1999 Temozolomide  
			 Relapsed multiple myeloma—bortezomib (Velcade) 26 April 2004 Bortezomib  
			 Renal cell carcinoma—bevacizumab (Avastin) Specific indication is not licensed Bevacizumab Substance not licensed for renal cancers 
			 Renal cell carcinoma—sorafenib tosylate (Nexavar) 29 July 2004 Sorafenib tosylate  
			 Renal cell carcinoma—sunitinib (Sutent) 11 January 2007 Sunitinib

Cardiovascular System: Screening

Doug Naysmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in identifying a suitable risk assessment engine to calculate cardiovascular risk in patients in England and Wales; and what consideration has been given to the importance of including waist circumference for assessment by such a tool.

Ann Keen: Recent publications by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and by the QResearch group, the latter in the British Medical Journal, have outlined new approaches to cardiovascular risk assessment. These publications offer significant contribution to the debate that will now take place as a result of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's recent publication of draft clinical guidelines on lipid modification, which covers cardiovascular risk assessment. The Department is monitoring this debate with interest.

Chiropody: Training

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has taken steps to protect the numbers of pre-registration training commissions for podiatrists.

Ann Keen: Within the overall resources allocated, it is a matter for each strategic health authority (SHA) to determine their own priorities including how much is spent on pre-registration training commissions for podiatrists. Under the current service level agreement with SHAs each SHA is expected to provide for investment in training commissions based on long term work force need and local financial plans.

Chronically Sick

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the role of specialist nurses in the delivery of health and social care to those with long-term conditions.

Ann Keen: Specialist nurses provide a valuable additional resource in the treatment and management of many long-term conditions. They can support people to manage their condition to maintain stability, improve quality of life and prevent frequent admission to hospital and reduce length of stay
	The Government remain committed to the continued development of such roles, and to ensuring that there are enough specialist nurses and other health care professionals to provide high quality services for all client groups.
	The responsibility for specific staffing numbers and skill mix rests with the local national health service. We have given local NHS organisations the freedom to decide how best to use their resources, in consultation with local stakeholders, as they know the health needs of their local communities best.

CJD: Blood

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to make the use of prion removal blood filters mandatory in the UK should the tests on prion removal blood filters in blood transfusions in Ireland prove successful.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1298W.

CJD: Blood

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the likely number of vCJD blood transfusion transfer cases over the next two years.

Dawn Primarolo: No estimates have been made of the likely number of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) cases arising from blood transfusion over the next two years. However the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) did issue a position statement on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies infectivity in blood in 2006. A copy of the statement can be found on the SEAC website at:
	www.seac.gov.uk/statements

CJD: Blood

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies have been carried out on prion removal of blood filters in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The United Kingdom blood services are independently evaluating the efficacy of the prion reduction filters that are currently available and which meet the qualifying criteria laid down by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many enquiries to the  (a) NHS Direct telephone service and  (b) NHS Direct online service on the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme have been made since April 2006.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held centrally. This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the NHS Direct NHS Trust.

Conal Timoney

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1383W, on Conal Timoney, from which company Mr. Timoney's services are being contracted; what the value is of that contract; and what Mr. Timoney's salary is.

Ben Bradshaw: Mr. Timoney is no longer a contractor with the Department. He is engaged for the Department via a short term national health service contract. The Department does not comment on employment terms negotiated with the NHS.

Dental Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 156-7W, on dental services, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that units of dental activity which were commissioned in 2006-07 but not provided by 1 April 2007, are provided by primary care trusts in 2007-08.

Ann Keen: The Department has provided guidance for primary care trusts on managing under-delivery of commissioned services in the document 'Dental Contracts—Advice on Managing End of Year Issue'. Copies have been placed in the Library and are available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_064321

Dental Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to primary care trusts on applying the index of orthodontic treatment need.

Ann Keen: Guidance to primary care trusts on national health service orthodontic assessments and the index of orthodontic treatment need is set out in the document 'Strategic Commissioning of Primary Care Orthodontic Services', copies of which are placed in the Library and are also available at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4139176

Dental Services

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people in  (a) Westmorland and Lonsdale,  (b) the Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust area,  (c) the North West Region and (d) England are registered with an NHS dentist.

Ann Keen: Since April 2006, patients no longer have to be registered with a dental practice to receive national health service care and treatment.
	The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ('patients seen') in a given area over a 12-month period, expressed as a per cent, of the estimated population for that area. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	The numbers of patients seen as a per cent, of the population in the 24 month periods ending 31 March, 30 June, 30 September, 31 December 2006 and 31 March 2007 are available in Table F2 of Annex 3 of the NHS Dental Statistics for England Q4: 31 March 2007 report. Information is available at strategic health authority and primary care trust (PCT) area in England.
	This report has been placed in the Library and is also available on-line at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalq4
	Information cannot be made available at constituency level without disproportionate cost.
	As from 1 October 2006, Morecambe Bay PCT was integrated into Cumbria PCT and North Lancashire PCT. Information for Cumbria PCT and North Lancashire PCT is included in the above report.

Departments: Land

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what disposals his Department made of land in Hampshire in each year since 1997; and whether he required any of the land to be used for social housing.

Ben Bradshaw: The table identifies the larger sites in Hampshire in the ownership of the Secretary of State for Health that have been disposed of since 1997.
	
		
			   Disposal 
			 1997 Part of Park Prewett, Basingstoke 
			  Part of Hazel Farm, Southampton 
			 1998 Part of St. James' Hospital, Portsmouth 
			 1999 Part of Hazel Farm, Southampton 
			  St. Paul's Hospital, Winchester 
			  Part of Prewett Park, Basingstoke 
			 2000 Knowle Hospital, Fareham 
			 2001 Part of Hazel Farm, Southampton 
			  Part of Lord Mayor Treloar, Alton 
			 2002 Leigh House, Southampton 
			 2003 Part of St. James' Hospital, Portsmouth 
			 2004 Part of Lord Mayor Treloar, Alton 
			 2005 Part of Park Prewett, Basingstoke 
			  Part of Lord Mayor Treloar 
			  Part of Coldeast Hospital, Fareham 
			  Tatchbury Hospital, Calmore 
			  Part Hazel Farm, Southampton 
		
	
	It is the responsibility of local planning authorities to identify and release land for housing as part of the planning process. This means that the requirement for the provision of social housing will need to be negotiated and agreed with the local planning authority. The Government have implemented a number of initiatives to assist with land supply for housing. A register of surplus public sector land held by central government bodies has been established. English Partnerships review the sites on the register to identify those which could have the potential for housing development. As at June 2007, there were over 700 sites on the register. Sites are continually being added as they are identified as surplus by landowners and removed once expressions of interest are received after a site has been marketed.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government and English Partnerships also maintain the national land use database of previously developed land (NLUD-PDL). This covers vacant and derelict land and also land in use with potential for development in public and private ownerships. Information on the sites is available from the NLUD website
	www.nlud.org.uk.
	In addition, English Partnerships is developing the National Brownfield Strategy which will provide a coherent vision for the future development of brownfield land to underpin national, regional and local development aspirations. The strategy will help our target for building new homes on brownfield land thereby reducing pressures on the greenbelt.

Departments: Legislation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which Bills introduced by his Department in the last five years contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses;
	(2)  which Bills introduced by his Department in the last five years did not contain sunset clauses; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department has not introduced any Bills containing sunset clauses in the last five years. The Department has no current plans for the future use of such clauses, but their use may be considered where appropriate.
	All of the Bills introduced by the Department in the last five years have not contained sunset clauses.

Departments: Members

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings  (a) he and  (b) each of his Ministers has held with hon. Members in the last 12 months; and what was discussed in each case.

Dawn Primarolo: A comprehensive list of all meetings Ministers have held with hon. Members in the last 12 months could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Postal Services

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what volume of correspondence his Department sent  (a) by Royal Mail and  (b) by other commercial delivery services in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for the use of other commercial delivery services.

Ivan Lewis: Figures for the period 2004-07 are as follows:
	
		
			  Delivery services  
			  2004-05  
			 Royal Mail volume 306,700 letters 
			 Commercial carriers 88,000 letters/packets 
			  2005-06  
			 Royal Mail volume 634,627 letters 
			 Commercial carriers 90,324 letters/packets 
			  2006-07  
			 Royal Mail volume 359,600 letters 
			 Commercial carriers 91,364 letters/packets 
		
	
	Figures for before 2004 can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	Where there is a particular requirement to deliver items in a set or urgent timeframe the Department will use commercial carriers for both national and international delivery including items that require signature.

Departments: Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1630-4W, for what reason a recurrent budget for 2007-08 is given for the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

Ivan Lewis: These are the residual costs from the funding of the English National Board of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, an arms length body which closed in March 2002.

Diabetes: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people participated in the  (a) dose adjustment for normal eating and  (b) diabetes education and self-management for ongoing and newly diagnosed courses in London in each of the last five years, broken down by primary care trust.

Ann Keen: This information requested is not held centrally. It is for primary care trusts to decide what services to provide to their local communities.

Dietary Supplements: Channel Islands

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1448W, on dietary supplements: Channel Islands, 
	(1)  what meetings are planned between the Food Standards Agency and the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey to discuss implementation of the food supplements directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation in the Channel Islands;
	(2)  whether the Food Standards Agency plans to raise at future meetings with the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey the implementation of the food supplements directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation.

Ivan Lewis: The Food Standards Agency does not have any meetings planned to date, with the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey to discuss implementation of the food supplements directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation in the Channel Islands.
	The Food Standards Agency is writing to the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey, regarding the implementation of the food supplements directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation.

Doctors: Private Sector

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effects of independent sector treatment centres on the availability of junior doctor training posts.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has made no such assessment. Training schedules for national health service staff in independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) are agreed locally, subject to meeting accreditation standards. The number of junior doctor training posts available is based on local service requirements and future workforce planning needs in discussions with strategic health authorities, Deaneries and trusts. In the instance where training is attached to activity, which is transferred from the NHS to a Wave 1 ISTC, junior doctors will complete the training in the ISTC.
	All ISTCs in Wave 2 are required to provide training in up to 35 per cent. of clinical services that they provide for the NHS. This includes not only medical training, but also other clinical training such as nurse or Allied Health Professional training.

Doctors: Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department provided to HM Treasury on the Medical Training Application Service prior to its introduction.

Ann Keen: The Medical Training Application Service project was subject to the normal business approvals process. MTAS costs fell within delegated Departmental approval limits thus no specific information was supplied to HM Treasury.

Doctors: Training

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which consultancy is involved in the processing of applications and appointments for hospital doctors' training posts in the London Kent Survey and Sussex Unit of Application; when it was appointed; what the process of appointment was; and what the estimated cost of the work is.

Ann Keen: The management of the application process locally is a matter for the Deanery concerned.

Drugs: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on tackling  (a) drug and  (b) alcohol dependency in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Since 2001, the Department and the Home Office have provided for drug treatment in the form of the pooled drug treatment budget (PTB). This funding is allocated to the 149 drug action teams across the country to use, along with local mainstream funding, to provide for treatment and services according to the specific needs of each locality. We do not have information on drug treatment spend prior to 2001.
	It is for primary care trusts to determine the level of expenditure on alcohol services within their area in line with local priorities. Information is not collected centrally on local spend; however the Alcohol Needs Assessment Project found that around £217 million was being spend on alcohol services during 2003-04. Funds from the PTB may be spent on alcohol services provided that adequate progress is being made on drugs priorities.
	PTB allocations since 2001 for each London borough is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   PTB channelled through PCT (£000)   PTB channelled through PCT (£000) 
			  DAT  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07   2007-08 
			 Barking and Dagenham 111 1,019 1,149 1,430 1,849 0.004808568 1,945 
			 Barnet 955 1,205 1,309 1,576 2,030 0.005277353 2,210 
			 Bexley 600 759 827 997 1,287 0.003345418 1,349 
			 Brent 1,417 1,909 2,201 2,795 3,605 0.009372441 3,703 
			 Bromley 716 901 978 1,175 1,510 0.003926924 1,728 
			 Camden 2,017 2,466 2,599 3,033 3,914 0.010177088 4,401 
			 City of London 14 23 31 44 58 0.000150157 69 
			 Croydon 1,212 1,565 1,738 2,135 2,753 0.007156912 2,995 
			 Ealing 1,794 2,135 2,188 2,480 3,195 0.008306342 3,622 
			 Enfield 1,093 1,458 1,669 2,104 2,704 0.007030149 2,738 
			 Greenwich 1,449 1,867 2,070 2,538 3,261 0.008479293 3,373 
			 Hackney 2,112 2,749 3,077 3,806 4,920 0.012793309 5,197 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,340 1,616 1,679 1,931 2,500 0.006499001 2,955 
			 Haringey 1,547 2,096 2,430 3,099 3,988 0.010369877 4,167 
			 Harrow 542 689 754 914 1,185 0.003080281 1,365 
			 Havering 566 711 770 924 1,192 0.003099463 1,280 
			 Hillingdon 888 1,038 1,043 1,157 1,494 0.003883626 1,656 
			 Hounslow 861 1,041 1,084 1,250 1,612 0.00419139 1,928 
			 Islington 2,451 2,950 3,059 3,511 4,507 0.011718636 4,900 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,817 1,999 1,999 2,099 2,699 0.007017021 2,973 
			 Kingston upon Thames 658 725 725 761 977 0.002541271 1,092 
			 Lambeth 2,439 3,266 3,748 4,739 6,083 0.015816438 6,425 
			 Lewisham 2,023 2,586 2,847 3,468 4,469 0.011620522 4,604 
			 Merton 804 949 964 1,081 1,389 0.003611393 1,567 
			 Newham 2,164 2,984 3,509 4,529 5,801 0.015082032 5,835 
			 Redbridge 678 929 1,087 1,398 1,798 0.004673789 1,933 
			 Richmond upon Thames 687 756 756 793 1,021 0.002653966 1,233 
			 Southwark 2,274 3,052 3,510 4,446 5,739 0.014920786 6,082 
			 Sutton 568 662 664 733 940 0.002444265 1,143 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,988 2,731 3,202 4,124 5,272 0.013709008 5,632 
			 Waltham Forest 958 1,357 1,630 2,141 2,733 0.007104891 2,976 
			 Wandsworth 1,663 2,000 2,073 2,378 3,063 0.007965414 3,383 
			 Westminster 2,729 3,002 3,002 3,152 4,042  4,367 
			 London total 43,801 55,195 60,371 72,741 93,590 0.010508613 100,826

Environment Protection: Dartmoor National Park

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Minister for the South West will make an early visit to the Holne Common in Dartmoor National Park to see the results of the Environmental Agency's action under its obligation under the Environmentally Sensitive Agreement 1999.

Ben Bradshaw: I am aware of the work undertaken by the Environmental Agency and others on Dartmoor. Due to current diary pressures I am currently not able to accept the hon. Members kind invitation, but if he has particular concerns I would welcome him raising them with me in writing.

Eyesight: Testing

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in York have had free eye tests since they were reintroduced.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not centrally available in the format requested.
	Data on the number of people aged 60 and over who have had a free national health service eye tests is collected at primary care trust (PCT) level, rather than by geographical area. Data for the former North Yorkshire health authority and York and Selby PCT are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of people aged 60 and over who have had NHS eye tests in North Yorkshire health authority and York and Selby PCT 
			  Financial year  North Yorkshire HA  York and Selby PCT 
			 1999-2000 52,072 — 
			 2000-01 61,787 — 
			 2001-02 68,855 — 
			 2002-03 70,278 — 
			 2003-04 — 26,254 
			 2004-05 — 26,619 
			 2005-06 — 25,057 
			 April to September 2006(1) — 12,956 
			 (1) Total shown is for the period April to September 2006 only. October to March 2007 figures are due to be published on 31 July.  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care.

Gender Identity Disorder

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2007,  Official Report, column 362W, on gender identity disorder, how many  (a) men and  (b) women from Wales received gender reassignment surgery to treat gender dysphoria from the national health service in England in each of the last 10 years.

Ivan Lewis: Due to the small number of treatment episodes involved, and the need to protect patient confidentiality, the Department cannot disclose this information.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis was for the statement by the hon. Member for Leigh (Chris Huhne) of 26 June 2007,  Official Report, column 160, on GP out-of-hours services, that the GP out-of-hours service was close to collapse in 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: It was clear from the rising number of complaints to the Health Service Commissioner that the previous model of provision by general practitioners (GPs) was not meeting patients' expectations and was not sustainable.
	In addition, the responsibility for out-of-hours care was affecting the ability to recruit and retain GPs.

General Practitioners: Passports

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received reports of GPs levying a charge to countersign passports for patients; and whether his Department issues guidelines to GPs who charge fees to authenticate patients' passports for renewal applications.

Ben Bradshaw: The countersigning of passports is not part of the work that a primary medical services contractor is required to do as part of their contractual arrangements with the Primary Care Trust. Should a general practitioner countersign an application it is a private matter between the doctor and the applicant. A general practitioner may make a charge for this service should they wish.
	The Department does not issue guidelines on this matter.

Health Professions: Qualifications

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether private-sector NHS contractors are required to ask for the same level of qualifications when recruiting staff as primary care trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The qualification requirements for the employment of clinical staff in Independent Sector Treatment Centres (ISTCs) are the same as those in the national health service. Surgeons must be registered with the General Medical Council and be on the specialist register in the speciality in which they are trained.
	Whilst both the NHS and ISTCs require the same level of qualifications for clinical staff, the process in which they are appointed differs.
	All health practitioners employed in ISTCs are required to be registered with the relevant professional body and providers are required to ensure that there is a programme of continuing professional development.

Health Professions: Regulation

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those attending her Department's Call for Ideas event on medical and non-medical professional regulation in autumn 2005 were  (a) from healthcare professional regulatory bodies,  (b) lay members of healthcare professional regulatory bodies,  (c) from public and patient representative organisations,  (d) members of the public,  (e) health officials,  (f) from other health and social care regulators and  (g) others.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department issued two "Calls for Ideas "in 2005—one was the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO) "Call for Ideas" on the review of medical regulation and the other was by Andrew Foster, the then Director of Workforce, on the review of non-medical professional regulation. Neither of these were held as actual events. The CMO's was published on the Department's website, while Andrew Foster wrote to a range of stakeholders to seek their views. This included members of the non-medical review reference group, which met twice during the course of the review, in July and November 2005. The make-up of the group is as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Healthcare professional regulatory bodies 25 
			 Lay members of healthcare professional regulatory bodies 6 (which is included in the above) 
			 Public and patient representative organisations and members of the public 4.5 
			 Health officials 14 
			 Other health and social care regulators 3.5 
			 Others 53

Health Professions: Training

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis his Department has carried out on the reasons for the fall in the number of pre-registration training commissions from 2004-05 to 2005-06.

Ann Keen: The numbers of pre-registration training commissions for most professions actually increased between 2004-05 and 2005-06 with the exception of nursing where numbers fell by about 1 per cent.
	Work force planning for the health service is challenging and complex and work force needs are difficult to predict as technological advances and social changes lead to some skills becoming redundant while demand for others will suddenly increase.

Health Services

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answers of 5 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1148-49W, on health services, what provision there is for public and patient members of the working groups on the White Paper to discuss issues distinct to the administration of health bodies in England.

Ben Bradshaw: The working groups have been formed to perform an advisory role in the implementation of the White Paper "Trust, Assurance and Safety". This includes those elements of the White Paper relating to the administration of local health bodies in England such as primary care trust and national health service trusts.

Health Services: Finance

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps have been taken to allocate the £1 billion funding proposed in the Public Health White Paper between  (a) health trainers,  (b) sexual health services,  (c) school nurses and  (d) other services; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much was allocated to each primary care trust for implementing the targets in the White Paper "Choosing Health"; and whether any of this funding was ring-fenced;
	(3)  what progress primary care trusts are making in delivering outcomes described in the White Paper "Choosing Health"; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) were notified of their revenue allocations for 2006-07 and 2007-08 in February 2005. The allocations separately identify funding to support the initiatives set out in the White Paper "Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier", a copy of which is available in the Library.
	There had been a move away from ring-fencing allocations to PCTs as it is for PCTs to determine how best to use the funds allocated to them to commission services to meet the needs of their local population.
	The funding allocated to each PCT for implementing the targets in the White Paper "Choosing Health", for the years 2006-07 and 2007-08 are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   "Choosing Health" White Paper funding 
			  PCT name  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 2,167 2,611 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 1,303 1,570 
			 Barnet PCT 1,024 2,032 
			 Barnsley PCT 1,726 2,081 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 356 707 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 533 1,056 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 834 2,006 
			 Berkshire East PCT 778 1,857 
			 Berkshire West PCT 1,248 2,474 
			 Bexley Care Trust 669 1,327 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 2,498 3,098 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 1,110 1,337 
			 Blackpool PCT 1,096 1,320 
			 Bolton PCT 1,870 2,254 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 1,082 2,142 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT 3,398 4,096 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 712 1,696 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 643 1,535 
			 Bristol PCT 1,351 2,675 
			 Bromley PCT 930 1,846 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 1,371 2,718 
			 Bury PCT 1,196 1,440 
			 Calderdale PCT 641 1,269 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 1,630 3,239 
			 Camden PCT 631 1,516 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 946 2,266 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 1,866 3,034 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 2,030 2,447 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 1,228 2,948 
			 County Durham PCT 3,193 3,960 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 1,962 2,432 
			 Croydon PCT 1,072 2,125 
			 Cumbria PCT 2,822 3,753 
			 Darlington PCT 235 562 
			 Derby City PCT 886 1,757 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 2,751 4,621 
			 Devon PCT 2,285 4,543 
			 Doncaster PCT 2,113 2,546 
			 Dorset PCT 1,230 2,443 
			 Dudley PCT 978 1,937 
			 Ealing PCT 1,078 2,133 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 1,615 3,208 
			 East Lancashire PCT 2,625 3,162 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 646 1,553 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 749 1,794 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 1,804 4,197 
			 Enfield PCT 645 1,543 
			 Gateshead PCT 1,486 1,789 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 1,729 3,433 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 683 1,458 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 1,740 2,098 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 2,282 2,749 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 1,276 1,537 
			 Hampshire PCT 2,865 6,431 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 1,505 1,865 
			 Harrow PCT 434 1,037 
			 Hartlepool PCT 700 843 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 629 1,249 
			 Havering PCT 787 1,560 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 1,890 2,345 
			 Herefordshire PCT 556 1,105 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 1,515 1,825 
			 Hillingdon PCT 767 1,522 
			 Hounslow PCT 737 1,459 
			 Hull PCT 1,615 2,000 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 502 999 
			 Islington PCT 1,347 1,672 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 664 1,327 
			 Kingston PCT 477 947 
			 Kirklees PCT 1,249 2,475 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,318 1,587 
			 Lambeth PCT 1,812 2,246 
			 Leeds PCT 1,687 4,028 
			 Leicester City PCT 2,079 2,504 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 1,773 3,524 
			 Lewisham PCT 1,558 1,931 
			 Lincolnshire PCT 2,944 4,759 
			 Liverpool PCT 3,345 4,146 
			 Luton PCT 432 1,033 
			 Manchester PCT 3,988 4,805 
			 Medway PCT 834 1,661 
			 Mid Essex PCT 983 1,956 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 1,105 1,330 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 677 1,351 
			 Newcastle PCT 1,948 2,345 
			 Newham PCT 2,211 2,665 
			 Norfolk PCT 1,598 3,835 
			 North East Essex PCT 1,036 2,060 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 1,081 1,302 
			 North Lancashire PCT 1,522 2,340 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 505 1,003 
			 North Somerset PCT 617 1,227 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 466 1,114 
			 North Tees PCT 1,235 1,489 
			 North Tyneside PCT 1,408 1,696 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 2,011 4,224 
			 Northamptonshire PCT 2,900 4,345 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 2,046 2,465 
			 Nottingham City PCT 1,741 2,158 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 1,714 3,691 
			 Oldham PCT 1,618 1,949 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 1,717 3,414 
			 Peterborough PCT 544 1,090 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 826 1,638 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 428 1,022 
			 Redbridge PCT 751 1,489 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 979 1,179 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 510 1,013 
			 Rotherham PCT 1,723 2,076 
			 Salford PCT 1,761 2,120 
			 Sandwell PCT 2,258 2,718 
			 Sefton PCT 817 1,790 
			 Sheffield PCT 1,272 3,035 
			 Shropshire County PCT 870 1,728 
			 Solihull Care Trust 439 1,049 
			 Somerset PCT 1,604 3,190 
			 South Birmingham PCT 2,057 2,551 
			 South East Essex PCT 747 1,790 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 657 1,307 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 2,160 3,609 
			 South Tyneside PCT 1,173 1,413 
			 South West Essex PCT 1,276 2,536 
			 Southampton City PCT 787 1,560 
			 Southwark PCT 1,697 2,103 
			 Stockport PCT 901 1,783 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT 1,594 1,975 
			 Suffolk PCT 1,759 3,495 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 2,117 2,549 
			 Surrey PCT 3,032 6,011 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 1,131 2,244 
			 Swindon PCT 578 1,147 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 1,598 1,925 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 514 1,022 
			 Torbay Care Trust 509 1,012 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 1,925 2,321 
			 Trafford PCT 696 1,378 
			 Wakefield District PCT 2,350 2,833 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 1,780 2,144 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 824 1,631 
			 Wandsworth PCT 897 1,775 
			 Warrington PCT 1,221 1,471 
			 Warwickshire PCT 2,147 3,373 
			 West Essex PCT 802 1,592 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 1,579 3,130 
			 West Kent PCT 1,928 3,825 
			 West Sussex PCT 2,295 4,660 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 558 1,336 
			 Westminster PCT 832 1,665 
			 Wiltshire PCT 1,279 2,543 
			 Wirral PCT 2,007 2,490 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 1,769 2,130 
			 Worcestershire PCT 1,643 3,263 
			
			 England 210,500 341,500 
		
	
	A Choosing Health progress report was published earlier this year and is available at the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH074286
	It shows that we have made significant progress over a wide range of areas and have created drivers for change through better engagement across systems and organisations, better information and new tools and techniques to support individual action to improve health. Two years through this three-year programme, examples of progress include:
	Smokefree legislation was implemented on 1 July 2007
	80 per cent. of people are now seen within 48 hours at a GUM clinic compared to 38 per cent. in 2004.
	PCTs have played their part in these improvements in public health.

Health Services: Multiple Sclerosis

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in inspection fees for charitable multiple sclerosis treatment centres.

Ben Bradshaw: Annual fees to cover the cost of providing assessment and registration services are approved by the Secretary of State, after consideration of proposals submitted by the Healthcare Commission (HC). Assessment of the effects of fees is therefore for the Commission in the first instance.
	The HC on its 2007-08 independent healthcare sector fee proposals between 20 December 2006 and 20 February 2007. We understand from the Chairman of the Commission that during the consultation period it received numerous representations from providers asking that fees should be reduced for voluntarily funded establishments.
	The HC revised its proposals after considering the comments it received. For 2007-08, annual fees for multiple sclerosis therapy centres have been reduced from £1,566 to £1,225, a reduction of 22 per cent. This is the first time that regulatory fees under the Care Standards Act 2000 have been reduced. Fees for first time registrations have increased from £907 to £990.

Health Services: Prisons

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the availability of primary care services to prison establishments during night periods; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Information on the coverage of health care in prisons is not collected centrally. It is for primary care trusts, working in partnership with prisons, to commission the arrangements for out of hours cover.
	Local prisons do usually contain 24 hour health facilities with nursing cover. For example, all prisons in London (with the exception of HMP Latchmere House) have healthcare beds with 24 hour nursing services available.
	Out-of-hours medical cover is usually provided by an on-call arrangement with local general practitioners as part of a General Medical Services contract.

Health Services: South East Region

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that local primary care trusts are supported to engage with strategic planning organisations on long-term major regeneration programmes in  (a) the Thames Gateway,  (b) East London and  (c) the London borough of Newham.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's London regional team and their London strategic health authority colleagues support the involvement of local national health service organisations in major regeneration initiatives within the Thames Gateway and East London areas, and the major developments in Newham for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	London's primary care trusts (PCTs) jointly fund with the London Development Agency, the Healthy Urban Development Unit, which offers practical help to all PCTs in London, including Newham PCT. The aim is to significantly improve the health of Londoners by developing partnerships that enable health organisations to engage early, influencing the plan making process, and have a positive effect on the outcomes of planning applications.

Health Trainers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the introduction of health trainers; and in which primary care trusts they have been employed.

Ann Keen: Progress on the introduction of health trainers to date has been good:
	as forecast and planned, 1,200 health trainers have been trained and are in post as of 2006-07 year end;
	competences have been signed off and exemplar job descriptions have been developed for tailoring by local health trainer partnerships;
	a national implementation team has been put in place and now provides full regional coverage;
	local training programmes have been developed and local evaluation has been put in place;
	national accreditation has been developed, with support from technical advisers Skills for Health, to provide City and Guilds Level 3 and Royal Institute for Public Health Level 2 awards;
	prisons have begun to introduce health trainers to the system, with around 80 health trainers now in place;
	the Army expects to have trained 450 physical training instructor as health trainers by December 2007, with plans for a further 2,000 personnel to receive training in 2008;
	Royal Mail plans to train some of their first aid staff as workplace health trainers;
	the programme is also working with organisations such as Asda, Marks & Spencer, National Pharmacies and Football Foundation, and;
	The Minister of State for Public Health (Dawn Primarolo) presented the first workplace Health Trainer certificate to Audrey Carlin, of T Alien Stockholder Ltd., on 3 July 2007.
	Health trainers are employed in a variety of settings and the plurality of employment models means that we do not collect data by individual primary care trust.

Health Trainers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health trainers there are in  (a) Southampton primary care trust,  (b) Hampshire primary care trust and  (c) Portsmouth primary care trust.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has been informed by the following primary care trusts that:
	Southampton primary care trust has 14 health trainers recruited and in training.
	Hampshire primary care trust has 12 health trainers recruited and in training.
	Portsmouth primary care trust has 11 health trainers recruited and in training.

Health: Disadvantaged

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in tackling health deprivation in the spearhead primary care trusts.

Dawn Primarolo: The 2010 inequalities targets for life expectancy, cardiovascular disease and cancer are based on narrowing the gap in mortality between the population as a whole and the fifth of local authority areas with the worst health and deprivation indicators (the Spearhead Group), and the primary care trusts that map to them, by 2010.
	Life expectancy has increased for both males and females for England as a whole but it has improved more slowly in the Spearhead areas. In England, average life expectancy for males is 76.9 and for females 81.1, in the Spearhead group it is 74.9 for males and 79.6 for females. The slower rate of improvement in has led to a widening of the relative gap in life expectancy between England and the spearhead group. The latest data for 2003-05, show that the average life expectancy in the Spearhead Group was 2.61 per cent. lower than the England average for males, and 1.91 per cent. lower than the England average for females. Therefore, the relative gap has widened by 2 per cent. for men and 8 per cent. for women since the baseline (1995-97).
	However, although the 2010 target for life expectancy is a challenging one, data for 2003-05 also show that some 60 per cent. of the 70 Spearhead areas are on track to narrow their own life expectancy gap with that of England by 10 per cent. by 2010, compared to baseline for either males or females or both. The information is set out in the following table, with comparison data for 2002-04.
	Data for 2003-05 have also shown continued improvements in CVD and cancer mortality inequalities between Spearhead areas and the national average since the 1995-97 baseline. The absolute gap from circulatory disease has narrowed by 27.9 per cent., and we are on track to meet the 2010 target of at least a 40 per cent. reduction, There has been a 12.7 per cent. reduction in the absolute cancer inequality gap.
	Targeted assistance to Spearhead areas is being provided through a variety of programmes such as Communities for Health, Health Trainers, Life Check and smoking cessation as well as on cancer, coronary heart disease and primary care.
	The following table shows whether the 70 Spearhead local authorities are on or off track to narrow their share of the life expectancy gap by 10 per cent. for males or females or both by 2010 according to 2003-05 data. The table also shows a comparison to 2002-04.
	
		
			  Spearhead Group performance on life expectancy for males and females 2003-05 v. 2002-04 
			   2003-05  2002-04 
			   On track both  On track male  On track female  Off track both  On track both  On track male  On track female  Off track both 
			 Hackney Yes — — — Yes — — — 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham Yes — — — Yes — — — 
			 Southwark Yes — — — Yes — — — 
			 Tower Hamlets Yes — — — Yes — — — 
			 Tameside Yes — — — — — Yes — 
			 Warrington Yes — — — Yes — — — 
			 Derwentside Yes — — — Yes — — — 
			 Hyndburn Yes — — — Yes — — — 
			 Islington — Yes — — — — — Yes 
			 Lambeth — Yes — — Yes — — — 
			 Lewisham — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Newham — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Knowsley — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 St. Helens — Yes — — Yes — — — 
			 Wirral — Yes — —  Yes — — 
			 Sunderland — Yes — — — — — Yes 
			 Halton — Yes — — — — — Yes 
			 Blackburn with Darwen — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Chester-le-Street — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Sedgefield — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Wear Valley — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Burnley — Yes — — — — — Yes 
			 Lincoln — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Wansbeck — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Tamworth — Yes — — — Yes — — 
			 Greenwich — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Haringey — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Bury — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Doncaster — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Gateshead — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 North Tyneside — — Yes — — — — Yes 
			 Birmingham — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Coventry — — Yes — Yes — — — 
			 Walsall — — Yes — — Yes — — 
			 Redcar and Cleveland — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Stockton-on-Tees — — Yes  Yes — — — 
			 Barrow-in-Furness — — Yes — — —  Yes 
			 Carlisle — — Yes — Yes — — — 
			 Corby — — Yes — — Yes — — 
			 Blyth Valley — — Yes — — — Yes — 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth — — Yes — Yes — — — 
			 Barking and Dagenham — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Bolton — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Manchester — — — Yes — Yes — — 
			 Oldham — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Rochdale — — — Yes — — Yes — 
			 Salford — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Wigan — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Liverpool — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Barnsley — — — Yes — — Yes — 
			 Rotherham — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 South Tyneside — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Sandwell — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Wolverhampton — — — Yes — — Yes — 
			 Bradford — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Wakefield — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Hartlepool — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Middlesbrough — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Blackpool — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 North East Lincolnshire — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Leicester — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Nottingham — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Stoke-on-Trent — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Bolsover — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Easington — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Pendle — — — Yes — — — Yes 
			 Preston — — — Yes — Yes — — 
			 Rossendale — — — Yes — — Yes —

Health: Disadvantaged

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the progress towards the pledge to reduce health inequalities measured by infant mortality by 2010.

Dawn Primarolo: The most recent assessment of progress against the infant mortality aspect of the 2010 health inequalities target shows a slight narrowing of the health inequalities gap between the routine and manual group and the rest of the population for 2003-05, compared to 2002-04 and 2001-03. Infant mortality rates are at an all-time low for both groups, the gap is at 18 per cent., however, still wider than the 13 per cent. at the 1997-99 target baseline.
	A further update on the infant mortality gap will be available later this year in the 2007 edition of 'Tackling Health Inequalities: Status Report on the Programme for Action'.

Health: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to tackle  (a) overweight and obesity and  (b) underweight in the adult population.

Ivan Lewis: Present action to tackle obesity in adults includes the care pathways for national health service primary care professionals and a self-help guide Your Weight Your Health; the National Heart Forum's toolkit Lightening the Load: tackling overweight and obesity; work on foods high in salt, fat and sugar; front of pack labelling as an easy to understand way of helping individuals and families to make healthier food choices; the General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire; Local Exercise Action Pilots and the National Step-0-Meter Programme.
	We will also continue to work closely with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to support dissemination and implementation of their guidance on physical activity public health intervention and on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children.
	Regarding steps to tackle underweight, Government advice is that people should consume a healthy balanced diet, which includes a wide variety of foods, is low in fat, based on plenty of fruit and vegetables and starchy foods such as potatoes, bread, and other cereals. The diet should contain moderate amounts of meat, fish, meat alternatives, milk and dairy products and sparing or infrequent amounts of foods containing fat/foods and drinks containing sugar. Eating a balanced diet in combination with physical activity should enable people to maintain a healthy weight.

Health: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of adults aged 16 years and over  (a) in England and  (b) in each primary care trust area who had a body mass index (i) in excess of 30 and (ii) of less than 18.5 in each year since 1997, broken down by age.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available in the format requested. Data on prevalence of different body mass index (BMI) values among adults aged 16 and over are available from the health survey for England. Data on the percentage of men and women in England with a body BMI of over 30 and under 18.5 are presented in Table 1, copies of which have been placed in the Library. Data are shown for the years 1997 through to 2005 and are broken down by age group and gender.

Hearing Impairment

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average waiting time for a hearing test was in  (a) Surrey,  (b) Oxfordshire and  (c) England in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000, (v) 2001, (vi) 2002, (vii) 2003, (viii) 2004, (ix) 2005 and (x) 2006;
	(2)  what the average time interval was between receiving a hearing test and the fitting of a hearing aid was in  (a) Surrey,  (b) Oxfordshire and  (c) England in (i) 1997, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2000, (v) 2001, (vi) 2002, (vii) 2003, (viii) 2004, (ix) 2005 and (x) 2006;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the procurement of audiology service pathways from the private sector; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the procedures for the referral of NHS patients to the independent sector for the fitting of hearing aids; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what assessment his Department has made of the fitting of hearing aids by the independent sector following the abolition of the Hearing Aid Council; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect data on waiting times for fitting of digital hearing aids. Since January 2006, the Department has been collecting data on the waiting times for audiology assessments. The latest figures, for May 2007, indicate that there are currently 1,322 people waiting over 13 weeks for assessments in Surrey and 13 people waiting over 13 weeks for assessments in Oxfordshire. In England as of May 2007, 73,381 people are waiting over 13 weeks for an assessment.
	A National Framework Contract Public Private Partnership with David Ormerod Hearing Centres and Ultravox Holdings plc was in place from October 2003 until March 2007. It was fundamental to the National Framework Contract that the quality of service, and hearing aid, that the patient received mirrored those of the local NHS audiology department. Quality assurance was key in the initiative. Both companies demonstrated their commitment to meeting these standards and invested resources in terms of equipment, IT and staff training in order to do so.
	Further independent sector capacity for audiology has been procured as part of the Phase 2 Diagnostics Procurement. Providers are subject to ongoing audit and must meet stringent key performance indicators through the delivery of the contract. Independent sector capacity is utilised at a local level alongside NHS capacity and is subject to the same standards and referral procedures.
	The Hearing Aid Council, which is responsible for standards of professional practice, remains in operation and is working towards transferring its regulatory functions to other bodies in advance of its abolition.

Henderson Hospital: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget for Henderson hospital is in 2007-08; and what the proposed budget for the hospital is for 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: Revenue allocations are made directly to primary care trusts (PCTs), not national health service trusts or individual hospitals. NHS trusts receive most of their income through the commissioning arrangements they have with PCTs.
	We understand that the Henderson hospital is managed by South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust. We would advise the hon. Member to contact the chairman of the trust for information about the hospital budget. The contact details are:
	John Rafferty
	Chairman
	South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust
	Springfield University Hospital
	61 Glenburnie Road
	London
	SW17 7DJ
	Telephone: 020 8672 9911

HIV Infection: Pregnancy

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of levels of transmission from mother to baby of HIV/AIDS in each of the last five years; in what proportion of cases transmission took place  (a) at birth and  (b) subsequent to birth; what treatments are available in each case; what assessment he has made of the merits of testing all pregnant women for HIV/AIDS at an early stage of their pregnancy; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of babies born in the United Kingdom and confirmed infected with HIV from 2002 to 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of babies born in the UK and confirmed infected with HIV, 2002-2006 
			  Year of birth  Maternal diagnosis before or at around time of delivery  Infected children born to undiagnosed women  Total infected 
			 2002 12 24 36 
			 2003 6 19 25 
			 2004 10 20 30 
			 2005 13 14 27 
			 2006 8 9 17 
			 Total 49 86 135 
			  Note: Data include reports received by end of June 2007 and are subject to reporting delay.  Source: National Study of HIV in Pregnancy and Childhood, Institute of Child Health, University College London 
		
	
	It is not possible to assess accurately what proportion of transmissions occurred prior to birth, at birth and after birth during this period. In-utero transmission is uncommon, and most transmissions occur during labour and delivery, or through breastfeeding. Infant samples need to be taken within 48 hours of birth to make inferences about timing of transmission, and since the majority of infected infants were born to undiagnosed women, sufficient samples were not available.
	If the woman is diagnosed before or during pregnancy, she can be offered:
	antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy, at delivery, and for the infant after birth;
	appropriate management of delivery, e.g. planned caesarean section; and
	advice not to breastfeed.
	If the woman is diagnosed at or shortly after delivery, the infant can still be offered antiretroviral therapy starting as soon as possible after birth, and the woman can still be advised not to breastfeed, both of which will reduce the risk of transmission if the baby was not already infected in-utero.
	Since the introduction of the routine recommendation of antenatal HIV testing in 2000, the majority of infected pregnant women have been diagnosed prior to delivery. In 2005, the latest year for which data are available, about 95 per cent. of infected pregnant women were diagnosed before delivery. During the 1990s, before antenatal testing was routine, the majority of infected women remained undiagnosed at delivery and therefore appropriate treatment and advice could not be offered.

Home Care Services: Oxygen

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications of the changed arrangements for home oxygen therapy on  (a) waiting times,  (b) patient safety and  (c) emergency supply; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for managing the home oxygen service locally, including assessing how the new arrangements relate to waiting times, patient safety and emergency supply.
	PCTs have access, on the home oxygen website, to a clinical assessment services commissioning framework, which outlines how these services, together with the new home oxygen service, can help reduce waiting times while supporting patients in managing their symptoms at home.
	Under the terms of the contract, all suppliers are required to provide information and training on the safe and effective use of oxygen equipment provided to patients and their families. Suppliers also make clear to patients the dangers of using oxygen if they continue to smoke or use equipment close to fires or other naked flames. Suppliers are required to report any incident involving patient safety to PCTs. It is for PCTs to report all serious incidents and to take any appropriate follow up action, whether reported by a supplier, health care professional or a patient, to strategic health authorities and the National Patient Safety Agency.
	From national service data provided by suppliers, I am able to confirm that all new suppliers are meeting the response time target 99 per cent. of the time for emergency supply. This is a priority service and, under the terms of the contract, all suppliers are required to supply oxygen at home within four hours of receiving an order for emergency supply.

Homeopathy

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what consultations were carried out with  (a) the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital,  (b) patient representatives and  (c) representatives of practising homeopaths prior to the decision to change funding for the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital;
	(2)  what homeopathic services will be available to the residents of Brent following changes in funding for treatment at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a local matter. The homoeopathic hospitals in the United Kingdom fall under the jurisdiction of the national health service in the area in which they are based. Any decisions on the services that any of these hospitals provide are the responsibility of those NHS healthcare organisations.

Hospitals: Food

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of hospital main meals were left untouched in  (a) England and  (b) each NHS provider organisation in each year from 2001-02 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Information on the number, and percentage, of hospital main meals left untouched in England is in the following table. Information relating to individual national health service providers has been placed in the Library. Data were not collected before 2001-02.
	
		
			  England  Total number untouched/unserved patient meals  Average percentage untouched/unserved patient meals 
			 2001-02 11,473,923 8.86 
			 2002-03 14,582,371 10.44 
			 2003-04 16,708,212 10.71 
			 2004-05 10,707,712 10.26 
			 2005-06 13,053,065 9.42 
		
	
	Food is left untouched or unserved for a variety of reasons, but generally by a combination of sufficient food being provided in order to ensure patients have a choice and by changing requirements, i.e. patients being discharged or moved, being absent for treatment or changing clinical status after the food orders have been made.
	Since 2004-05, the data provided have not been collected on a mandatory basis and therefore will not be complete.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies have contracted hospital acquired infections in the last 12 months, broken down by health trust.

Ann Keen: The best available data are given as follows but will include both community and healthcare acquired infections.
	 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
	Information on age has only been collected under the mandatory surveillance scheme by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) since October 2005 and the latest data were published on 25 July 2007. The total number of cases of MRSA bloodstream infections in the 12 months from April 2006 to March 2007 in children aged under one year in England was 35.
	The small numbers involved mean that the information is not available by named trust as this could result in deductive disclosure.
	 Clostridium difficile
	Children under two years are not included in the mandatory surveillance scheme.
	The HPA's voluntary reporting scheme collects data on age and sex of cases. The scheme does not collect data on where infection was acquired (e.g. neonatal unit, or maternity unit). The following table shows the number of cases of  Clostridium difficile for children from birth to one in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2005. Data for 2006 are not available yet.
	
		
			  Age  2005 
			 Under 1 month 37 
			 1 to 5 months 42 
			 6 to 11 months 40 
		
	
	The aforementioned information is likely to be an underestimate as not all laboratories report. Further, testing of children under two years of age may be limited owing to a general belief that the presence of  C. difficile is not usually clinically significant in this age group as asymptomatic carriage, including production of toxins A and B, is common in this age group.
	No other data on healthcare associated infections are available by age group.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2007,  Official Report, column 456W, on hospitals: infectious diseases, in how many hospitals the six deaths in 2005 took place.

Ann Keen: The six deaths from meticillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus in persons aged under one, in 2005, occurred in five different hospitals.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that clear guidance is provided to primary care trusts on how girls can access human papilloma virus vaccines outside  (a) vaccination and  (b) catch-up programmes.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 19 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 633-34W.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation expects to provide a recommendation to Ministers on a potential human papilloma virus vaccination catch-up programme for girls beyond age 13 years, following its meeting in October 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: A detailed analysis is being carried out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) regarding the benefits and costs of introducing a human papilloma virus vaccine programme. This work is being externally peer reviewed to ensure its robustness. This review has not yet been completed and therefore JCVI will not be able to make its more detailed recommendation, including whether there will be a catch-up for older girls, until after its next meeting, on October 17.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2007,  Official Report, column 130W, on influenza, whether he has considered the practicalities of giving short courses of antivirals as prophylaxis to members of the household of a person infected with pandemic influenza; what estimate he has made of the size of the antiviral stockpile necessary to do so; whether he plans to consider the possibility of using antivirals as prophylaxis in  (a) schools,  (b) healthcare settings and  (c) other institutions; when he expects to take a final decision regarding stockpiling additional antivirals for prophylactic purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Prophylaxis is being considered as part of the overall countermeasures strategy for pandemic influenza. No decisions have been made on the use of prophylaxis but the policy is being kept under review including the possible size of any stockpile and the potential options for their use.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to  (a) businesses and  (b) other organisations outside the health and social care sectors on the safe use of (i) pharmacological and (ii) other clinical interventions to mitigate the impact of a potential influenza pandemic.

Dawn Primarolo: Advice to businesses and organisations who are planning to make interventions available to their employees is that distribution should be done under the guidance of a medical practitioner, in line with their usual occupational health arrangements. Advice on planning for a pandemic is included in the draft national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic that was issued for public discussion in March. Work place guidance for pandemic flu is also available from the Health and Safety Executive website.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the main headings of the information presented to the 14 February 2007 meeting of the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations on risk groups relating to the prioritisation of vaccinations in the event of an influenza pandemic; what progress is being made combining this information with mathematical modelling in order to present a comprehensive package of information; by which  (a) parties and  (b) Government departments this comprehensive package of information will be used; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) considered prioritisation issues connected with pandemic specific vaccines and pre-pandemic vaccines which might be deployed to counter a flu pandemic. The group were presented with clinical, practical and public health considerations for the possible prioritisation of some or all of the following groups; healthcare workers, those at high risk of complications, those aged 18 years or younger to reduce disease transmission, those over 65, essential workers, enclosed communities as well as vaccination of the entire population.
	The modelling subgroup of the Pandemic Influenza Scientific Advisory Group has considered the conclusions of a number of pieces of analysis (some commissioned specially for the group) on the role of both pre-and specific vaccines. This is discussed in the modelling summary published on the Department's website. The results of the analysis and the conclusions of the subgroup were presented at the June JCVI meeting and there will be further presentations and discussion at the next meeting.
	The conclusions of the discussion will feed into the considerations of the Department and the Cabinet Office, including discussions with other government departments, on future options for pandemic preparedness.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the effectiveness of stockpiling  (a) oseltamivir,  (b) zanamivir,  (c) other antivirals and  (d) prepandemic vaccines to prepare the NHS for tackling an influenza pandemic.

Dawn Primarolo: We continue to receive representations from a range of sources on the effectiveness of stockpiling both antivirals and prepandemic vaccine.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when his Department will publish its response to the consultation on the national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2298W, on influenza, when he plans to publish a final framework.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Framework is due to be published later in the year.

Influenza: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) manufacturing capacity,  (b) distribution capacity and  (c) storage capacity of the pre-pandemic vaccine producers.

Dawn Primarolo: The United Kingdom policy on pre-pandemic vaccination has not yet been finalised and the appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of this countermeasure is still being assessed, along with consideration of manufacturing, distribution and storage capacity of producers.

Junior Doctors: Vacancies

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of vacancies for junior doctors are expected to be filled by 1 August, broken down by  (a) deanery and  (b) specialty; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: At the end of round one, 85 per cent. of junior doctor training posts had been filled.
	The round two recruitment is in progress and the estimated total fill rate for 1 August is around 90 per cent. This means that national health service hospitals should have the junior doctors they need in post to ensure that services run smoothly around the annual changeover of junior doctors in early August.
	A new wave of junior doctors start working in NHS hospitals across the country in August, each year. We appreciate that there are more involved this year, but hospitals are used to dealing with a new influx of junior doctors. Hospital consultants every year quietly, and very competently, plan for that process.
	All applicants who are in substantive NHS employment will continue to have employment while they progress through the next round. This will help cover any remaining gaps in August.

Link Up Service

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions on the health benefits of the Link Up service.

Ivan Lewis: The cross-Government strategy, "Opportunity Age—meeting the challenge of a changing society", was published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as a consultation document on 23 March 2005. The strategy outlines what can be done to meet the challenge of the changing demographics in the 21(st) century and looks specifically at the issues facing society as people live longer, healthier lives. It includes supporting active ageing and giving people more choice and independence in how they use the services at their disposal.
	The Department was a major partner with DWP in Opportunity Age. A specific theme of Opportunity Age was the development of LinkAge Plus pilots, which aim to build more effective links between central Government, local authorities and other organisations and deliver a fully integrated service to meet the needs of older people.
	Eight LinkAge Plus pilots were established. LinkAge Plus is a two-year pilot programme, with funding available until March 2008. It was launched in September 2006 and aims to test models of partnership working and build up evidence of good practice to ensure joined up working. The Link Up service in Gateshead is one of these pilots.
	Link Up offers advice and help to people in Gateshead aged 50 or over on a variety of topics, including health, benefits, how to stay healthy and active and help with domestic tasks, such as gardening and shopping.

Macular Degeneration

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct primary care trusts to make all treatments for wet age-related macular degeneration available to patients on the national health service.

Ann Keen: All primary care trusts (PCTs) are funding photodynamic therapy treatment for patients with both the wholly classic and predominantly classic forms of wet age-related macular degeneration, in line with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).
	NICE is currently carrying out an appraisal of Lucentis and Macugen, which are now both licensed for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration, and final guidance is due later in the year.
	Where guidance from NICE is not yet available, PCTs are expected to apply local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies. These arrangements should include an assessment of the available evidence.

Medical Treatments Abroad

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients were treated overseas in 2006, broken down by  (a) country in which treatment was obtained and  (b) type of treatment; and what the cost was to the NHS of these treatments, broken down by country in which treatment was obtained.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 23 July 2007
	In answering this question it has been assumed that the question is referring to patients being referred abroad specifically for treatment. There are a number of different routes under which patients can be sent abroad for treatment. We only hold information where the relevant authorisation has to be given by the Department. Cost information is not available as claims do not separate out the different categories of treatment and this could only be done at disproportionate cost. The following table shows the number of patients treated by country and treatment type where Departmental authorisation has been given.
	
		
			  Country  Type of Treatment  Number of cases 
			 Austria Lung transplant 1 
			  Maternity care 5 
			  Removal of screws 1 
			  Total for country 7 
			 Belgium Annual check for heart transplant 1 
			  Atrial fibrillation 1 
			  CTscan 2 
			  Maternity care 21 
			  Phalloplasty 2 
			  Scan for epilepsy (ictal spect scan) 3 
			  Total for country 30 
			 Czech Republic Maternity care 11 
			  Total for country 11 
			 Finland Blood test 1 
			  Cancer care 2 
			  Cholecystectomy 1 
			  Maternity care 4 
			  Removal of implant 1 
			  Total for country 9 
			 France Bladder echocardiogram 1 
			  Brain aneurysm treatment 1 
			  Colonoscopy 2 
			  Consultation 3 
			  Ear reconstruction 2 
			  EEC scan 1 
			  Embolisation 1 
			  Endoscopy 1 
			  Gamma knife assessment 1 
			  Maternity care 104 
			  Photons 1 
			  Pilondial sinus and abscess 1 
			  Primary torsion dystonia 1 
			  Proton beam therapy 3 
			  Pudendal nerve compression 2 
			  Renal transplant 1 
			  Stereo-Electroencephalography 2 
			  Steroid injection 1 
			  Thyroidectomy 1 
			  Trapped pudendal nerve 1 
			  Urine test/injection 1 
			  Unknown 4 
			  Total for country 136 
			 Germany Advanced radiosurgery/MRI scan 1 
			  Cancer treatment 1 
			  Chemotherapy 1 
			  Cyberknife therapy 1 
			  F-Dopa-Pet scan 1 
			  Speech therapy 1 
			  Heart stemcell therapy 1 
			  Hernia 1 
			  Intraluminal bare laser 2 
			  Laser treatment of the tongue 2 
			  Maternity care 44 
			  Meg scan 1 
			  Pet scan 1 
			  Phalloplasty 1 
			  Provision of hearing aid 1 
			  Skin cancer 1 
			  Stem cell therapy 1 
			  Unknown 1 
			  Total for country 63 
			 Greece Maternity care 2 
			  Total for country 2 
			 Italy Maternity care 10 
			  Total for country 10 
			 Netherlands Chemotherapy 2 
			  Genetic mutation analysis 1 
			  Maternity care 8 
			  Total for country 11 
			 Norway Maternity care 1 
			  Total for country 1 
			 Poland Accident 1 
			  Maternity care 21 
			  Total for country 22 
			 Slovak Republic Maternity care 3 
			  Total for country 3 
			 Spain Maternity care 27 
			  Medication 1 
			  Total for country 28 
			 Sweden Carcinoid cancer 3 
			  Ergonomics and physiotherapy 3 
			  Lymph oedema 1 
			  Maternity care 3 
			  Neurendocrine pancreatic tumour 2 
			  Octreotide treatment 2 
			  Unknown 3 
			  Total for country 17 
			 Switzerland Maternity care 5 
			  Total for country 5 
			 Unknown Unknown 2 
			  Total treatments abroad 357

Medical Treatments: Heart Diseases

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on  (a) pharmacological management,  (b) cardiac transplant surgery and  (c) the use of medical devices in the treatment of congestive heart failure in each of the last five years, broken down by strategic health authority.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected in the form requested; it is possible to separate out spending on medical devices and pharmacological management devices specifically to treatment for congestive heart failure from figures for such spending related to cardiac conditions generally.
	On heart and lung transplants only national figures are available for procedures commissioned under the auspices of the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group. The following figures are for national commissioning across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and include assessment, organ retrieval and follow up services for both heart and lung transplant:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 30.1 
			 2003-04 31.4 
			 2004-05 33.8 
			 2005-06 35.7 
			 2006-07 37.8

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 21 June 2007 on Type One diabetes.

Ann Keen: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 24 July 2007.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases were dealt with by child and adolescent mental health services in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The number of new cases dealt with by specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in England was as follows
	
		
			   Cases 
			 2002 9,822 
			 2003 16,632 
			 2004 27,892 
			 2005 31,330 
			 2006 29,170 
			  Source: CAMHS mapping data 2002-06

Midwives: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many training places for student midwives are planned to be provided in  (a) the 2007-08 academic year and  (b) subsequent years; what factors are taken into account in deciding the number commissioned; which (i) individuals and (ii) organisations were consulted in that decision; and who decides how many places will be commissioned.

Ben Bradshaw: There were a total 2,116 planned student midwifery training places commissioned for the 2007-08 academic year. Information on the number of planned training places for subsequent years are not available centrally.
	When determining the number of training places needed, the existing number of midwifes, expected number of graduates and policy priorities such as Maternity Matters are expected to be taken into account.
	Strategic health authorities will have the final decision on how many places to commission. The Department has a service level agreement with local strategic health authorities (SHAs) which expects them to make decisions and plans based on long term workforce planning using national and local data sources with support from the national workforce review team. It is for individual SHAs to decide on the appropriate organisations to consult with.

Multiple Sclerosis: Drugs

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the review on the use of the drug Sativex by multiple sclerosis patients will conclude; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The review period for Sativex concluded on 19 July 2007 when the applicant for the Marketing Authorisation, GW Pharmaceuticals Ltd. withdrew the application in all concerned member states (Netherland, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom). No further review on Sativex is possible until another application is submitted by the company.

Musculoskeletal Disorders: Health Services

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many submissions his Department has received on addressing musculoskeletal problems in the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department of Health does not receive any submissions on changes to the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).
	The independent expert panel who advise the negotiating parties to the general medical services contract on the evidence for changes to the QOF invited submissions for a review of QOF in 2005. The panel received two submissions in relation to falls, one in relation to osteoarthritis and seven in relation to osteoporosis. All submissions were considered and the expert panel produced reports which have been published on the University of Birmingham website.
	As part of the ongoing development of the framework, indicators will be subject to continuing review in the light of emerging evidence, in the context of a value for money agreement. The expert panel again invited patient groups and professional bodies to submit evidence on current or potential future areas in QOF by 28 February this year. The expert panel have now concluded oral sessions with submitting groups. NHS Employers, who hold the contract with the expert panel and negotiate changes to the contract with the British Medical Association, intends to make further information available on this process soon.

NHS Direct

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls were made to NHS Direct in each of the last five years; and what progress is being made on the development and implementation of the telephone internet and digital service as recommended in the White Paper, "Choosing Health".

Ben Bradshaw: NHS Direct national health service trust has provided the following information.
	
		
			  Number of calls offered( 1)  to NHS Direct in the last five calendar years 
			   Calls offered 
			 2002 7,375,970 
			 2003 8,168,357 
			 2004 8,611,418 
			 2005 8,104,166 
			 2006 7,336,604 
			 (1) Defined as the number of calls offered received by NHS Direct. This is the combined total of calls to NHS Direct's out-of-hours services and calls to the 08454647 telephone line.  Sources: 1. NHS Direct. The figures have not been validated by the Department 2. NHS Direct NHS Trust National Operations Centre 
		
	
	The "Choosing Health" White Paper commitment to develop and implement telephone, internet and digital services is being delivered through the new NHS Choices website, available at www.nhs.uk/Pages/homepage.aspx. This currently incorporates a Live Well area; a local services search facility; and personalised, national health service accredited content that reflects the interests and needs of different age groups across a spectrum of issues and factors which can impact upon length and quality of life. Further services, including testing of SMS text messaging and digital television will be added later this year.

NHS: Accountancy

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which dates the annual accounts of the NHS were published in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: All national health service bodies are required to publish their accounts locally. The accounts must be presented at a public meeting held no later than 30 September following the end of the financial year (31 March).
	The National Audit Office publish the NHS summarised accounts for strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts. The publication dates for the last five financial years were:
	2001-02: 21 March 2003
	2002-03: 28 April 2004
	2003-04: 24 June 2005
	2004-05: 7 June 2006
	2005-06: not yet published

NHS: Drugs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department put in place formal arrangements with the Department for Trade and Industry to ensure cooperation when representing the interests of the pharmaceutical industry, as stated on page 24 of the Government's Response to the Health Committee's Report on the Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry, Cm 6655; whether this formal cooperation now takes place between his Department and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; whether this formal cooperation extends to representing the interests of the  (a) neutraceutical,  (b) food supplements and  (c) specialist nutritional products industries; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: In line with the Government response to the Health Select Committee report on the Influence of the Pharmaceutical Industry, the Department and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) have put in place formal arrangements to ensure close working between both Departments on issues relating to the pharmaceutical industry.
	The directors of the Medicines, Pharmacy and Industry Group (MPIG) in the Department and the Business Relations Group at BERR meet regularly and work closely in taking forward this agenda. In addition, officials in the Industry Branch within MPIG and in the BioScience Unit of the Business Relations Unit meet on a quarterly basis. They also work closely on a day-to-day basis taking forward policy relating to the United Kingdom based pharmaceutical industry. These formal relations were put in place in 2005 and continue today.
	The Department sponsors the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries. It does not sponsor the neutraceutical, food supplements and specialist nutritional products industries and similar relations with BERR are not required.

NHS: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1487W, on NHS: finance, if he will place in the Library copies of the guidance on the introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting issued to the NHS by his Department in 2000 and the consolidated guidance issued in February 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: Copies of "A guide to resource accounting and budgeting", issued by the Department's Finance Directorate, have been placed in the Library. It can also be found on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Organisationpolicy/Financeandplanning/Allocations/DH_4000346

NHS: Greater London

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many London hospitals that have completed or committed to private finance initiative (PFI) contracts may be affected by the Darzi proposals to reorganise NHS services in London; and what estimate he has made of the potential level of PFI debt that may fall back onto the  (a) Exchequer and  (b) NHS in the event of closure.

Ben Bradshaw: Changes in services are a matter for the local national health service. Specific proposals as a result of the Darzi review have not yet emerged.
	Under a private finance initiative contract, trusts may terminate the contract with notice at any time, without having to prove right and regardless of any prejudice to the private sector. Under these circumstances, compensation would be payable to the contractor on a trust default basis aiming to put the contractor in a position that is 'no better, no worse' than it would have been had the contract run for its full length. A value for money case for exercising this option must be made. To date no estimates have been made by the Department on the termination liabilities of any PFI scheme, costs which would be met by the individual trust involved.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the tenure of the outgoing Chief Executive of Connecting for Health will overlap with that of his successor.

Ben Bradshaw: A final day of service has not been agreed yet between the Department and the Director General and it is unknown whether there will be an overlap with any successor at this stage.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what team was put on standby to take over iSoft in the case of Connecting for Health exercising its step-in-rights; and at what cost the team was put on standby.

Ben Bradshaw: Step-in rights are one of a number of provisions in the contracts between national health service Connecting for Health and its prime contractors under the national programme for information technology whose exercise is reserved, on an exceptional basis and in the event of certain critical circumstances, for the purpose of maintaining continuity of delivery and service for the NHS.
	Action was taken to exercise this provision in relation to iSoft on a contingency basis, and a joint team of appropriately-experienced NHS and private sector programme managers and software engineers identified for the purpose. There have been no standby costs, but some limited expenditure has been incurred in monitoring the circumstances surrounding the recent uncertainty over the future of iSoft. However, this has not been recorded separately and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

NHS: Information

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which areas he expects trials of the information prescription to take place; how many people will be involved in the trials; what funding has been allocated for the trials; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Information prescriptions pilots are taking place in 20 areas around England in a range of health and social care settings, and they include many different health and social need conditions and needs. A full list has been placed in the Library.
	Each pilot site is involving a range of service users, professionals, carers and support staff, but there are no counts of the numbers of people involved, and more people will continue to be involved as the pilots progress. The initiative in total has a funding of £1.35 million in 2006-07, and £2.5 million in 2007-08.

NHS: Information

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make an assessment of the information prescription trial.

Ann Keen: The 20 information prescriptions pilot sites are being assessed by an independent evaluation consortium. They will be producing a final report on the work of the pilots in February 2007, which will be used to inform the national roll out of information prescriptions.

NHS: Information

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he is making for the full roll out of information prescriptions; and how much he expects the full roll out of information prescription to cost.

Ann Keen: The information prescriptions initiative has a funding of £2.5 million in the financial year 2007-08. Plans for full roll out will be developed based on the learning from the 20 sites which are piloting information prescriptions.

NHS: Sick Leave

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1320W, on NHS: sick leave, what the average sickness absence rate for NHS staff was in each year since 2001, broken down by strategic health authority area.

Ben Bradshaw: The national health service sickness absence rate has fallen from 4.8 per cent. in 2001 to 4.5 per cent. in 2005.
	The following table shows sickness absence rates from 2001 to 2005. This is broken down by strategic health authority (SHAs) for 2003 to 2005(1). The Information Centre for health and social care advise that the quality of data is not high enough prior to 2003 to break this information down by SHA. Sickness absence rates for 2006 are not included because there is currently a refresh exercise being undertaken. Final 2006 figures will be available in August.
	(1) For previous structure of 28 SHAs. It is not possible to reproduce this for the current structure of 10 SHAs.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 England 4.8 4.6 4.7 4.6 4.5 
			   
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire n/a n/a 4.5 4.6 4.6 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire n/a n/a 4.6 4.4 4.2 
			 Essex n/a n/a 4.7 4.6 4.4 
			 North West London n/a n/a 4.0 4.1 4.0 
			 North Central London n/a n/a 4.1 4.0 3.8 
			 North East London n/a n/a 4.1 4.4 4.1 
			 South East London n/a n/a 4.7 4.2 3.9 
			 South West London n/a n/a 4.2 4.1 4.3 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear n/a n/a 5.4 5.2 5.7 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley n/a n/a 4.8 4.8 4.6 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire n/a n/a 4.4 4.3 4.4 
			 West Yorkshire n/a n/a 4.8 4.4 4.5 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire n/a n/a 4.8 4.8 5.0 
			 Greater Manchester n/a n/a 5.2 4.8 5.0 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside n/a n/a 5.4 5.3 5.4 
			 Thames Valley n/a n/a 3.9 4.0 3.9 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight n/a n/a 4.4 4.3 4.2 
			 Kent and Medway n/a n/a 4.8 4.9 4.5 
			 Surrey and Sussex n/a n/a 4.0 3.9 4.0 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire n/a n/a 4.7 4.7 4.5 
			 South West Peninsula n/a n/a 4.8 4.4 4.6 
			 Dorset and Somerset n/a n/a 4.6 4.3 4.4 
			 South Yorkshire n/a n/a 4.3 4.3 4.0 
			 Trent n/a n/a 5.1 4.9 4.8 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland n/a n/a 4.9 4.7 4.7 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire n/a n/a 5.4 5.0 5.0 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country n/a n/a 4.8 4.7 4.4 
			 West Midlands South n/a n/a 5.2 4.8 4.7 
			 n/a = Not applicable, sickness/absence data are not available by SHA area prior to 2002.  Notes: 1. Data for 2002 are of insufficient quality to produce data at a SHA level. 2. Sickness absence rate is defined as the amount of time lost through absences as a percentage of staff time available. 3. This does not cover maternity leave, carers leave or any periods of absence agreed under family friendly/flexible working policies. 4. General Practitioners and their staff are not included in the aforementioned figures. 5. Figures for strategic health authority areas are an average of all primary care trusts, other trusts and the strategic health authority organisations in that area. 6.Figures are for the calendar year.  Sources: The Department's Sickness/Absence survey 2000-04 The Information Centre for health and social care sickness/absence survey 2005

Nurses: Manpower

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) district nurses,  (b) nursing auxiliaries,  (c) school nurses,  (d) mental handicap nurses,  (e) community psychiatric nurses,  (f) treatment nurses,  (g) community midwives and  (h) health visitors were employed in the NHS in each year since 2000; and what the projected figures are for each year to 2010, broken down by health trust.

Ben Bradshaw: This information has been placed in the Library.
	The annual workforce census does not separately identify mental handicap nurses, treatment nurses or community midwives from the rest of the nursing workforce. Comprehensive data on school nurses have only been collected centrally since 2004.
	Projected figures for each year to 2010, broken down by health trust are not collected centrally.

Nurses: Manpower

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist nurses were employed in the NHS in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The annual workforce census does not identify the number of specialist nurses.
	The workforce census records the number of qualified nurses, midwives and heath visitors under the several different branches of nursing which are acute, elderly and general, paediatric, maternity, psychiatry, learning disabilities, community services and education staff.

Nurses: Recruitment

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the effect on the cost to the public purse of changing from current recruitment practices for nurses to an all graduate intake for new nurses.

Ann Keen: As part of modernising nursing careers, the Nursing and Midwifery Council are reviewing the content and level of pre registration education. If a graduate workforce is deemed appropriate, the costs and benefits of such a change will be taken into account.

Nutrition: Costs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the costs to (a) the NHS and  (b) society as a whole of (i) obesity and (ii) undernutrition.

Dawn Primarolo: 'Tackling Child Obesity—First Steps', a joint report from the National Audit Office, Healthcare Commission and Audit Commission published in February 2006, put the cost of obesity to the national health service at around £1 billion a year, with an additional £2.3 billion to £2.6 billion a year to the economy as a whole. Information on the cost of undernutrition to the NHS is not collected centrally.

Organs: Donors

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what strategy is in place to increase the number of organ donors.

Ann Keen: The Department launched "Saving Lives, Valuing Donors: A Transplant Framework for England" in 2003 and the National Service Framework for Renal Services in 2004. These set out the Department's key aims for organ and tissue transplantation over the following 10 years. Government investment in hospital based funding has helped increase donor rates and an organ donor taskforce will report to Ministers in autumn 2007 on how organ donor rates can be further improved.

Patients: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average expenditure was on each patient main meal delivered in hospital in  (a) cash terms and  (b) current prices in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: Information on the average expenditure on each patient main meal is in the following table. The actual amounts shown are as collected from the national health service in the financial year in question. Information on the basis of constant prices is neither collected nor calculated centrally. The data were not collected before 2001-02.
	In respect of hospital food services, there is no relationship between cost and quality.
	
		
			   Average amount spent per patient main meal (£) 
			 2001-02 2.19 
			 2002-03 2.41 
			 2003-04 2.37 
			 2004-05 2.60 
			 2005-06 2.65 
		
	
	Inpatients are expected to receive three main meals per day. The expenditure shown includes the cost of provisions and staff costs.
	Since 2004-05, the data provided have not been collected on a mandatory basis and therefore may not be complete.

Pregnant Women: Alcoholic Drinks

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to implement training programmes for health care professionals on the prevention, diagnosis and management of the full range of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the training, guidance and resources available in the NHS for routine screening of alcohol consumption by pregnant women;
	(3)  what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the clinical management of individuals affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorders; and what support systems are available to them and their carers and families.

Ann Keen: The Department is not responsible for setting curricula for health professional training. However, the Department does share a commitment with statutory and professional bodies to ensure that all health professionals are appropriately trained, so that they have the skills and knowledge to deliver a high quality health service to all groups of the population, whatever their condition.
	The Department has funded the production of guidance to support the effective delivery of high quality training on substance misuse, including alcohol, within undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom. Compilation of Substance Misuse in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum was overseen by an expert steering group and published by the International Centre for Drug Policy in April 2007.
	Although, the Department has not made an assessment of the training, guidance and resources available in the national health service for routine screening of alcohol consumption by pregnant women, midwives routinely ask about alcohol consumption during booked antenatal appointments. The Department has also recently reworded its advice on alcohol and pregnancy. The revised advice states that pregnant women or women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol. If they do choose to drink, to minimise the risk to the baby, they should not drink more than one to two units of alcohol once or twice a week, and should not get drunk.
	The Department has not commissioned or evaluated research into the clinical management of individuals affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). However, the Government welcome the British Medical Association's recently published guide for health care professionals on FASD which will serve to raise awareness of this and provide important advice for diagnosis and those caring for patients affected by this condition.

Prescriptions: Contraceptives

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the morning after pill was prescribed  (a) in total and  (b) to girls under 16 by (i) family planning clinics, (ii) general practitioners, (iii) hospital accident and emergency departments, (iv) school nurses and (v) pharmacists since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The information available on emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) supplied by community contraceptive clinics is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Occasions on which emergency hormonal contraceptives were supplied at community contraceptive clinics by specified age and year—England 
			  Thousand 
			   All ages  Of which: Under 16 
			 1997-98 205.1 22.5 
			 1998-99 209.9 21.5 
			 1999-2000 233.0 23.1 
			 2000-01 228.8 25.2 
			 2001-02 192.0 25.5 
			 2002-03 188.0 26.9 
			 2003-04 (1)183.2 27.0 
			 2004-05 174.1 24.4 
			 2005-06 164.5 22.0 
			 (1) Data revised in 2004-05 publication.  Notes: Data prior to 2004-05 reused with the permission of the Department of Health.  Source: The Information Centre KT31 return. 
		
	
	The available data on the number of items of EHC prescribed by general practitioners is shown in the following table. Data by age are not available.
	
		
			  Year( 1)  General practitioners ( T housand) 
			 2003 368.2 
			 2004 333.2 
			 2005 302.9 
			 2006 280.6 
			  Source: (1) ePACT system, this contains a maximum of 60 months data 
		
	
	Information is not available on the supply of EHC by hospital accident and emergency departments and school nurses and up until the end of 2006 no pharmacists had written prescriptions for EHC.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Christine Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to tackle the spread of genital warts, especially among people between 16 and 25;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the incidence of genital warts on genito urinary medicine clinical resources.

Dawn Primarolo: Genital warts is the most frequently diagnosed viral sexually transmitted infection (STI) in genitor urinary clinics in England. In 2006, the highest rates of genital warts were in both the 16-19 and 20-24 year age groups in women and in the 20-24 year old age group in men. Most cases of genital warts are asymptomatic and resolve spontaneously in healthy individuals.
	To tackle the spread of STIs we have set a target that 100 per cent. of patients attending a genitor urinary medicine service are offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours. We are already seeing excellent progress on this. Data from the Genito Urinary Medicine Monthly Monitoring return showed that in May 2007, 85 per cent. of first attendances were offered an appointment to be seen within 48 hours of contacting a service. This compares with 58 per cent. in May 2006.
	Last November we launched a new adult sexual health campaign, "Condom Essential Wear", which aims to normalise condom use among sexually active adults. The campaign focuses on STIs most prevalent in the target 18-24 year old age group.

Skills for Health

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts are running a skills for health programme; and how much this has cost.

Ivan Lewis: Skilled for Health early adopter partnerships are planned between local health and education bodies to provide local models of delivery for wider dissemination and as models of best practice to support wider rollout. Learning from these partnerships will be used to inform primary care trust (PCT) programmes.
	Phase one of Skilled for Health was completed in 2006 and the teaching resources developed were published in November 2006 as part of the embedded learning curriculum content for the Skills for Life programme. They are available at no cost to PCTs and their partners from Prolog (0845 60 222 600). Copies are available in the Library. Information on how these materials are being used locally to establish Skilled for Health programmes in PCTs in not collected centrally.

Smoking: Health Hazards

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of smoking related diseases including  (a) lung cancer,  (b) heart disease and  (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was in (i) Hampshire and (ii) England in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Figures are available from Hospital Episode Statistics on the number of Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) in national health service hospitals in England with a primary diagnosis of diseases that can be caused by smoking. It is acknowledged that not all of these FCEs which can be caused by smoking will be attributable to smoking as there are other contributory factors to these diseases. Therefore for England, the relative risks of these diseases for current and ex-smokers, compared to non-smokers can be used to estimate smoking-attributable FCEs. The following tables provide either the number of FCEs that can be caused by smoking or estimates of the number of smoking-attributable FCEs.
	Table 1 shows the number of FCEs in England, for people of all ages, with a primary diagnosis of various diseases which can be caused by smoking for 1996-97 through to 2005-06.
	Table 2 shows the number of FCEs in England, for those aged 35 and over, with a primary diagnosis of various diseases which can be caused by smoking, and estimates of the number of these which can be attributed to smoking. Figures have been provided for 2004-05, as this is first and most recent year for which data on estimates of diseases which can be attributed to smoking are available. Figures are shown for those aged 35 and over only, because relative risks used to estimate the attributable numbers are only available for this age group.
	Table 3 shows the number of FCEs in Hampshire and Isle of Wight strategic health authority (SHA), for all ages, with a primary diagnosis of various diseases which can be caused by smoking for 1996-97 through to 2005-06.
	Relative risks of diseases for current and ex-smokers are not available at SHA level, so analysis estimating the numbers of smoking-attributable FCEs at SHA level cannot be provided.
	
		
			  Table 1 National health service( 1)  finished consultant episodes (FCEs)( 2)  in England where there was a primary diagnosis( 3)  of diseases that can be caused by smoking, 1996-97 to 2005-06( 4,5) , in England 
			   Finished Consultant Episodes 
			  Selected diagnoses  ICD-10 diagnoses codes  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01 
			 All diseases caused in part by smoking  1,214,661 1,317,024 1,381,450 1,408,136 1,418,914 
			
			 Cancers caused in part by smoking  261,007 298,917 303,065 315,727 315,856 
			 Lung C33-C34 62,032 70,952 73,794 79,604 78,805 
			 Upper respiratory sites C00-C14,C32 14,092 18,343 19,227 20,812 17,999 
			 Oesophagus CIS 22,175 25,159 26,511 30,049 32,463 
			 Bladder C67 76,415 81,525 84,351 83,341 80,504 
			 Kidney C64-C66,C68 9,553 10,280 10,192 10,897 11,134 
			 Stomach C16 23,428 25,072 25,609 26,468 28,552 
			 Pancreas C25 11,315 12,677 13,222 14,589 16,300 
			 Unspecified site C80 15,846 24,894 17,555 17,037 16,923 
			 Myeloid leukaemia C92 26,151 30,015 32,604 32,930 33,176 
			 Respiratory diseases caused in part by smoking  203,582 214,277 243,872 249,038 238,193 
			 Chronic obstructive lung disease J40-J44 111,395 119,911 135,006 140,092 136,271 
			 Pneumonia J10-318 92,187 94,366 108,866 108,946 101,922 
			
			 Circulatory diseases caused in part by smoking  507,096 551,899 563,886 564,624 575,174 
			 Ischaemic heart disease I20-I25 322,317 354,688 363,098 366,081 378,532 
			 Peripheral Arterial Disease I739 31,168 31,924 29,763 27,967 26,576 
			 Cerebrovascular disease I60-I69 130,116 140,189 144,800 145,479 144,661 
			 Aortic aneurysm I71 13,645 14,235 14,914 14,657 14,963 
			 Myocardial degeneration/ infarction I51 1,853 1,972 2,030 2,132 2,157 
			 Atherosclerosis I70 7,997 8,891 9,281 8,308 8,285 
			
			 Diseases of the digestive system caused in part by smoking  74,969 78,991 80,066 82,575 79,634 
			 Stomach/duodenal ulcer K25-K27 54,974 57,031 56,575 57,024 52,934 
			 Crohn's disease K50 13,203 15,071 15,969 17,231 18,317 
			 Periodontal disease K05 6,792 6,889 7,522 8,320 8,383 
			
			 Other diseases caused in part by smoking  168,007 172,940 190,561 196,172 210,057 
			 Senile cataract H25 54,189 58,875 74,410 79^898 95,127 
			 Hip fracture S72 70,544 72,265 74,798 76,668 75,365 
			 Spontaneous abortion O03 43,274 41,800 41,353 39,606 39,565 
		
	
	
		
			  Selected diagnoses  ICD-10 diagnoses codes  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 All diseases caused in part by smoking  1,463,872 1,551,970 1,632,929 1,671,282 1,730,478 
			
			 Cancers caused in part by smoking  317,438 329,310 336,250 345,755 373,212 
			 Lung C33-C34 76,867 79,252 84,251 89,900 98,340 
			 Upper respiratory sites C00-C14,C32 16,882 16,910 17,976 19,281 21,308 
			 Oesophagus CIS 34,844 37,104 38,106 38,756 42,121 
			 Bladder C67 78,597 79,778 78,977 78,561 83,362 
			 Kidney C64-C66,C68 11,581 12,883 13,314 14,289 15,968 
			 Stomach C16 28,900 29,418 29,197 28,952 30,806 
			 Pancreas C25 17,986 19,184 21,040 23,105 25,938 
			 Unspecified site C80 17,200 17,713 17,301 17,532 17,656 
			 Myeloid leukaemia C92 34,581 37,068 36,088 35,379 37,713 
			
			 Respiratory diseases caused in part by smoking  263,422 281,221 323,295 338,920 357,154 
			 Chronic obstructive lung disease J40-J44 144,010 149,914 174,140 177,369 178,683 
			 Pneumonia J10-318 119,412 131,307 149,155 161,551 178,471 
			
			 Circulatory diseases caused in part by smoking  588,209 621,943 634,149 641,253 653,511 
			 Ischaemic heart disease I20-I25 387,073 408,893 418,344 421,386 428,262 
			 Peripheral Arterial Disease I739 24,641 22,656 20,391 18,903 17,856 
			 Cerebrovascular disease I60-I69 151,340 164,255 167,142 172,180 178,321 
			 Aortic aneurysm I71 14,362 15,065 15,277 15,564 15,606 
			 Myocardial degeneration/ infarction I51 2,398 2,615 2,982 3,057 3,524 
			 Atherosclerosis I70 8,395 8,459 10,013 10,163 9,942 
			
			 Diseases of the digestive system caused in part by smoking  77,901 77,995 80,453 80,631 87,023 
			 Stomach/duodenal ulcer K25-K27 49,653 48,173 46,857 44,544 44,549 
			 Crohn's disease K50 20,152 21,610 24,750 26,922 32,288 
			 Periodontal disease K05 8,096 8,212 8,846 9,165 10,186 
			
			 Other diseases caused in part by smoking  216,902 241,501 258,782 264,723 259,578 
			 Senile cataract H25 97,103 108,817 124,618 128,044 115,903 
			 Hip fracture S72 78,445 89,075 90,739 92,626 97,475 
			 Spontaneous abortion O03 41,354 43,609 43,425 44,053 46,200 
			 (1 )The data include private patients in the NHS (but not private patients in private hospitals). (2 )The data refers to Finished Consultant Episodes (FCE). An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. (3) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. (4 )The figures include people whose gender was not known or not specified. (5 )Figures shown are based on all ages.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics. The Information Centre, 2006 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs)( 1)  among adults aged 35 and over( 2) , with a primary diagnosis of diseases that can be caused by smoking, and the estimated number of these FCEs that can be attributed( 3)  to smoking as a percentage of all admissions from that disease, 2004-05( 4) , in England 
			  Number/percentage 
			  Diagnosis (ICD 10)  Observed FCEs( 5)  Attributable number( 6)  Attributable percentage 
			 All diseases caused in part by smoking 1,573,395 559,800 36 
			 Cancers caused in part by smoking 335,707 172,400 51 
			 Lung 89,547 75,800 85 
			 Upper respiratory sites 18,614 12,900 69 
			 Oesophagus 38,484 26,200 68 
			 Bladder 78,177 30,500 39 
			 Kidney 12,132 3,400 28 
			 Stomach 28,639 7,300 25 
			 Pancreas 22,967 6,000 26 
			 Unspecified site 17,244 6,300 37 
			 Myeloid leukaemia 29,903 4,200 14 
			 Respiratory diseases caused in part by smoking 315,927 177,300 56 
			 Chronic obstructive lung disease 176,294 147,300 84 
			 Pneumonia 139,633 30,000 21 
			 Circulatory diseases caused in part by smoking 636,226 158,100 25 
			 Ischaemic heart disease 419,513 106,200 25 
			 Peripheral Arterial Disease 18,797 15,800 84 
			 Cerebrovascular disease 169,584 24,200 14 
			 Aortic aneurysm 15,457 9,500 62 
			 Myocardial infarction 2,802 600 21 
			 Atherosclerosis 10,073 1,900 19 
			 Diseases of the digestive system caused in part by smoking 59,765 26,400 44 
			 Stomach/duodenal ulcer 41,879 22,200 53 
			 Crohn's disease 15,205 3,000 20 
			 Periodontal disease 2,681 1,200 46 
			 Other diseases caused in part by smoking 225,770 25,500 11 
			 Age related cataract among those aged 45 and over 127,111 15,500 12 
			 Hip fracture among those aged 55 and over 85,641 9,200 11 
			 Spontaneous abortion 13,018 700 6 
			 (1 )An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Figures do not represent the number of patients, as a patient may have more than one episode of care within the year. (2 )Figures have been presented for adults aged 35 and over unless otherwise specified (3 )More information on the methodology used to calculate these estimates are available in the Statistics on Smoking: England, 2006 publication produced by The Information Centre for health and social care, which is available in the House of Commons. (4 )The data include private patients in NHS hospitals (but not private patients in private hospitals). (5 )Observed admissions only includes those where gender was recorded (6 )Estimated attributable number, rounded to the nearest 100. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). The Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3. National health service( 1)  finished consultant episodes (FCEs)( 2)  in Hampshire and Isle of Wight strategic health authority where there was a primary diagnosis( 3)  of diseases that can be caused by smoking, 1996-97 to 2005-06( 4,5) 
			  Finished Consultant Episodes 
			   ICD-10 diagnoses codes  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 All diseases caused in part by smoking  39,083 42,227 45,139 46,511 49,257 51,104 54,516 58,350 60,982 60,338 
			 
			 Cancers caused in part by smoking  8,401 9,925 9,496 9,578 10,312 10,104 10,403 10,304 10,730 11,218 
			 Lung C33-C34 1,757 2,017 1,851 1,926 2,125 2,176 2,106 1,972 2,063 2,367 
			 Upper respiratory sites C00-C14,C32 475 532 572 477 542 516 511 491 572 527 
			 Oesophagus CIS 654 801 797 1,019 1,091 1,152 1,138 1,119 1,043 1,144 
			 Bladder C67 2,486 2,906 2,941 2,758 2,905 2,669 2,771 2,703 2,690 2,711 
			 Kidney C64-C66,C68 355 485 410 429 482 602 575 570 665 631 
			 Stomach C16 633 760 675 757 686 654 741 695 666 563 
			 Pancreas C25 408 415 450 406 547 567 553 587 521 706 
			 Unspecified site C80 519 602 588 531 505 638 855 755 763 575 
			 Myeloid leukaemia C92 1,114 1,407 1,212 1,275 1,429 1,130 1,153 1,412 1,747 1,994 
			 
			 Respiratory diseases caused in part by smoking  5,760 5,834 6,865 7,701 7,489 9,327 10,659 13,354 14,031 13,696 
			 Chronic obstructive lung disease J40-J44 2,517 2,598 3,230 3,516 3,592 4,987 5,655 7,264 7,338 7,043 
			 Pneumonia J10-J18 3,243 3,236 3,635 4,185 3,897 4,340 5,004 6,090 6,693 6,653 
			 
			 Circulatory diseases caused in part by smoking  15,841 16,711 18,222 18,363 20,342 20,370 22,541 23,000 23,451 22,422 
			 Ischaemic heart disease I20-I25 9,737 10,702 11,491 11,446 13,329 13,356 14,650 15,236 15,214 14,385 
			 Peripheral Arterial Disease I739 1,179 997 835 698 839 753 751 684 601 592 
			 Cerebrovascular disease I60-I69 4,226 4,203 4,716 5,135 5,207 5,364 6,030 5,904 6,522 6,229 
			 Aortic aneurysm I71 517 513 614 554 517 507 528 513 565 528 
			 Myocardial degeneration/ infarction I51 67 114 101 110 153 107 135 93 123 236 
			 Atherosclerosis I70 115 182 465 420 297 283 447 570 426 452 
			 Diseases of the digestive system caused in part by smoking  2,793 3,166 3,530 3,550 3,351 3,438 3,231 3,389 3,828 3,943 
			 Stomach/duodenal ulcer K25-K27 1,984 2,094 2,220 2,178 1,893 1,850 1,677 1,508 1,730 1,645 
			 Crohn's disease K50 484 607 599 589 763 989 927 1,124 1,349 1,433 
			 Periodontal disease K05 325 465 711 783 695 599 627 757 749 865 
			 
			 Other diseases caused in part by smoking  6,288 6,591 7,026 7,319 7,763 7,865 7,682 8,303 8,942 9,059 
			 Senile cataract H25 2,005 2,266 2,802 3,074 3J153 3,281 3,115 3,548 4,038 4,119 
			 Hip fracture S72 2,768 2,849 2,934 3,088 3,336 3,421 3,846 3,904 4,048 4,050 
			 Spontaneous abortion O03 1,515 1,476 1,290 1,157 1,174 1,163 721 851 856 890 
			 (1 )The data include private patients in the NHS (but not private patients in private hospitals). (2 )The data refers to Finished Consultant Episodes (FCE). An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. (3 )The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in (4 )The figures include people whose gender was not known or not specified. (5 )Figures shown are based on all ages.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics. The Information Centre, 2006

Vaccination: Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the vaccines routinely given to  (a) babies and  (b) children.

Dawn Primarolo: The information required is in the following table.
	
		
			  Immunisation schedule 
			  Age  What is given  How it is given 
			 2 months old Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and  Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) One injection 
			  Pneumococcal infection (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV) One injection 
			 3 months old Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and  Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) One injection 
			  Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) One injection 
			
			 4 months old Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and  Haemophilus influenzas type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) One injection 
			  Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) One injection 
			  Pneumococcal infection (Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV) One injection 
			
			 Around 12 months old  Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) and meningitis C (Hib/MenC) One injection 
			
			 Around 13 months old Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) One injection 
			  Pneumococcal infection (PCV) One injection 
			
			 3 years and 4 months to 5-years-old Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV) One injection 
			  Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) One injection 
			
			 13 to 18-years-old Diphtheria, tetanus, polio (Td/IPV) One injection

Westmoreland General Hospital

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will consider upgrading Westmorland General Hospital to full district general hospital status;
	(2)  if he will consider supporting the provision of full consultant-led acute admissions services at Westmorland General Hospital.

Ann Keen: It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) locally to plan and commission services to meet the needs of its residents and in line with the resources available.
	Proposals relating to the Westmorland General Hospital, which is managed by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Hospital Trust, were consulted on between June and September 2006. The preferred option has since been subject to further work and will now be taken forward as part of the Cumbria whole systems review where consultation is due to begin in September.

Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 288-90W, on academies, what the  (a) start date for building and  (b) opening date or expected opening date is of each academy; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Academies are run by charitable trusts. academy trusts are responsible for managing the building projects for academies approved before 23 March 2006, when it was announced that Partnerships for Schools (PfS) would take on responsibility for the academies buildings programme. The Department does not keep central records of the start dates for buildings where the construction was managed by academy trusts.
	The start date for each building project delivered by PfS will be agreed during the contractual negotiations with the selected contractor. None of the academy building projects that PfS are delivering have yet reached this stage.
	As a planning assumption, the average length of the construction period for an academy building is taken to be 18 months.
	The opening dates or expected opening dates for academies are given in the following table.
	Where there is an urgent educational need, some academies begin life in the predecessor school buildings. The first 47 academies on this list are open, expected opening dates are given for the rest of the academies on the list.
	
		
			   Academy name  Opening date or expected opening date 
			 1 Bexley Business Academy September 2002 
			 2 Greig City Academy September 2002 
			 3 Unity City Academy September 2002 
			 4 Walsall City Academy September 2003 
			 5 Capital City Academy September 2003 
			 6 King's Academy September 2003 
			 7 The West London Academy September 2003 
			 8 Djanogly City Academy September 2003 
			 9 The Academy at Peckham September 2003 
			 10 Bristol City Academy September 2003 
			 11 Manchester Academy September 2003 
			 12 City of London Academy September 2003 
			 13 Lambeth Academy September 2004 
			 14 Stockley Academy September 2004 
			 15 Mossbourne Community Academy September 2004 
			 16 Northampton Academy September 2004 
			 17 London Academy September 2004 
			 18 The Academy of St. Francis of Assisi September 2005 
			 19 Trinity Academy September 2005 
			 20 Marlowe Academy September 2005 
			 21 Salford City Academy September 2005 
			 22 Dixons City Academy September 2005 
			 23 Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham Academy September 2005 
			 24 Haberdashers' Knights Academy September 2005 
			 25 Sandwell Academy September 2006 
			 26 Grace Academy Solihull September 2006 
			 27 David Young Community Academy September 2006 
			 28 St. Paul's Academy September 2005 
			 29 Harefield Academy September 2005 
			 30 Macmillan Academy September 2005 
			 31 Barnsley Academy September 2006 
			 32 The Petchey Academy September 2006 
			 33 North Liverpool Academy September 2006 
			 34 The John Madejski Academy September 2006 
			 35 Westminster Academy September 2006 
			 36 Paddington Academy September 2006 
			 37 Sheffield Springs September 2006 
			 38 Sheffield Park September 2006 
			 39 Walthamstow Academy September 2006 
			 40 Landau Forte College September 2006 
			 41 Gateway Academy September 2006 
			 42 The Harris Bermondsey Academy September 2006 
			 43 The Burlington Danes Academy September 2006 
			 44 Harris Girls Academy East Dulwich September 2006 
			 45 St. Mark's CofE September 2006 
			 46 Harris Academy Merton September 2006 
			 47 Madeley Academy April 2007 
			 48 The St. Matthew Academy September 2007 
			 49 Leigh Technology Academy September 2007 
			 50 Folkestone Academy September 2007 
			 51 Bradford Academy September 2007 
			 52 The Harris Academy South Norwood September 2007 
			 53 Oasis Academy Enfield September 2007 
			 54 St. Mary Magdalene Academy September 2007 
			 55 The Samworth Enterprise Academy September 2007 
			 56 The Thomas Deacon Academy September 2007 
			 57 Harris City Academy Crystal Palace September 2007 
			 58 Ashcroft Technology Academy September 2007 
			 59 John Cabot Academy September 2007 
			 60 The Bridge Academy September 2007 
			 61 Oasis Academy Immingham September 2007 
			 62 Oasis Academy Wintringham September 2007 
			 63 Stockport Academy September 2007 
			 64 Bacon's A Church of England Sponsored Academy September 2007 
			 65 William Hulme's Grammar School September 2007 
			 66 King Soloman Academy September 2007 
			 67 The Belvedere Academy September 2007 
			 68 North Oxfordshire Academy September 2007 
			 69 Swindon Academy September 2007 
			 70 Spires Academy September 2007 
			 71 The Marsh September 2007 
			 72 Brooke Weston Academy September 2008 
			 73 Darwen Aldridge Community Academy September 2008 
			 74 Langley Academy September2008 
			 75 The Corby Business Academy September2008 
			 76 Herefordshire 1 (Steiner) September2008 
			 77 The Globe Academy September2008 
			 78 Evelyn Grace Academy September2008 
			 79 Excelsior Academy September 2008 
			 80 Q3 Academy September 2008 
			 81 Merchants' Academy Withywood September 2008 
			 82 City of London Academy Islington September 2008 
			 83 Sandwell Willingsworth September 2008 
			 84 Grace Academy Coventry September 2008 
			 85 Harris Boys Academy East Dulwich September 2008 
			 86 Wren Academy September 2008 
			 87 The Rhodesway Academy September 2008 
			 88 City of London KPMG Academy September 2009 
			 89 JCB Academy September 2009 
			 90 Bede Academy September 2009 
			 91 The Chelsea Science Academy September 2009

Bishops Park College: Clacton

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what his Department's involvement was in the decision to build Bishops Park College in Clacton; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether Bishops Park College in Clacton was built as part of the Government's Building Schools for the Future programme.

Jim Knight: Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a core part of the Department's capital strategy, providing a new approach to capital investment in secondary schools. The programme was launched in 2004 and the first school opened in 2006.
	Bishops Park College, Clacton, was not built as part of BSF. The school opened in 2002 in temporary accommodation and moved to new buildings, funded through the
	Private Finance Initiative (PFI), in 2005.
	Local authorities are responsible for planning provision in their areas. The Secretary of State had no role in deciding the proposals to establish this school. However, as with other schools PFI projects, the Department did review and approve Essex County Council's bid for this project in 2000, the outline business case in 2001, and the final business case in 2003.
	The original expression of interest was assessed by officials against the published criteria at the time. These criteria included the sufficiency, condition and suitability of existing facilities, wider Departmental priorities and initiatives, and wider Government priorities and objectives. The project was prioritised for funding on this basis, but it remained the local authority's responsibility to develop the project and demonstrate its viability.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families in what proportion of English secondary schools less than  (a) 50 per cent.,  (b) 40 per cent.,  (c) 30 per cent.,  (d) 20 per cent.,  (e) 10 per cent. and  (f) 5 per cent. of pupils received five GCSEs at A*-C in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The number of maintained mainstream schools where less than  (a) 50 per cent.  (b) 40 per cent.  (c) 30 per cent. and  (d) 20 per cent. of pupils received five GCSEs at grades A*-C is available Table 7 of the Statistical First Release:
	GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England 2005/06.
	
		
			  Number of maintained mainstream schools( 1)  by percentage of 15-year-old pupils( 2)  achieving 5+ A*-C at GCSE and equivalents 
			Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE and 
			  School type  Total number of schools  0-14  15-19  20-24  25-29  30-39  40-49 
			 All maintained mainstream schools(1) 2005/06 3,072 7 8 32 87 353 588 
			 (1) Including only those maintained mainstream schools with results published in the 2006 Achievement and Attainment tables. (2) Age at start of academic year i.e. 31 August. 
		
	
	In 2006, there was one maintained mainstream school in which 0 per cent. of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C at GCSE. This is the only school that falls into categories  (e) less than 10 per cent. and  (f) less than 5 per cent. This pupil only had three pupils aged 15(1).
	(1)( )Aged 15 on the 31 August 2005.

Schools: Private Finance Initiative

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of schools categorised as a school causing concern in each of the last 10 years was built and maintained  (a) under private finance initiative contract and  (b) through the public sector.

Jim Knight: Ofsted have provided the table which shows the number of schools in categories of concern for each year since 1996/97.
	The Department and Ofsted do not centrally hold information specifically on schools built in the last 10 years which are categorised as causing concern.
	
		
			  Number of primary and secondary schools in Ofsted categories 1996/97 to 2006/07* 
			  End of academic year  Total primary  Total secondary 
			  Special measures   
			 1996/97 226 73 
			 1997/98 365 95 
			 1998/99 313 81 
			 1999/2000 272 83 
			 2000/01 234 64 
			 2001/02 193 52 
			 2002/03 184 58 
			 2003/04 201 94 
			 2004/05 123 90 
			 2005/06 137 54 
			 2006/07(1) 179 52 
			
			  Notice to improve   
			 2005/06 205 93 
			 2006/07(1) 229 105 
			
			  Serious weaknesses   
			 1997/98 419 76 
			 1998/99 606 110 
			 1999/2000 658 122 
			 2000/01 402 96 
			 2001/02 361 75 
			 2002/03 250 64 
			 2003/04 245 47 
			 2004/05 212 45 
			 2005/06 86 21 
			 2006/07(1) 40 5 
			
			  Under achieving   
			 1999/2000 75 15 
			 2000/01 121 24 
			 2001/02 134 24 
			 2002/03 74 15 
			 2003/04 66 12 
			 2004/05 38 11 
			 2005/06 8 6 
			 2006/07(1) 4 0 
			 (1) Number of schools at 31 March 2007 (last published information from Ofsted).

Housing: Standards

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether properties assessed as a category 1 hazard under the housing health and safety rating system will not meet the decent homes standard; and how many properties fell into this category in 2006-07.

Iain Wright: The Guidance, "A Decent Home: Definition and guidance for implementation (June 2006—Update)" advises that properties assessed as a Category 1 hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System will be considered non-decent in failing to meet the minimum statutory standard. First estimates for the number of properties non-decent on this criterion will become available from the 2006 English House Condition Survey with headline results due to be published in January 2008. The Guidance can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/191/ADecentHomeDefinitionandguidanceforimplementationJune2006update_id1152191.pdf

Office of National Statistics: Manpower

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people work in the division of the Office of National Statistics responsible for producing consumer price index and retail prices index figures; how many of these have agreed to relocate to Newport; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 July 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people work in the division of the Office of National Statistics that is responsible for producing consumer price index and retail prices index figures; how many of these have agreed to relocate to Newport.(152711)
	The London division responsible for producing consumer price index and retail prices index figures had a staff complement of 34. A number of staff are considering relocating, although final decisions are not required until after the summer. It is anticipated that the corresponding Newport team will include up to six people with experience of working on the CPI and RPI in London.

Public Works Loans Board

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what controls exist on the amount of borrowing that local authorities can undertake from the Public Works Loans Board.

Angela Eagle: Loans advanced by the Public Works Loan Board are made from funds provided under section 4(1) of the National Loans Act 1968. Amended by section 130 of the Finance Act 1990, this sets an existing limit of £55 billion (nominal) on the total loans outstanding to the board at any one time, but also contains a provision to alter the limit further to a sum not exceeding £70 billion (nominal).

Public Works Loans Board

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consent from central government departments local authorities require to borrow funds from the Public Works Loans Board.

Angela Eagle: The Local Government Act 2003 allows main (first and second tier) local authorities to set and keep under review their own borrowing limits. Minor (third tier) authorities in England require the specific delegated permission of the Secretary of State (Parish and Town Councils in England) or the Welsh Assembly Government (Community and Town Councils in Wales) to borrow.

Self-Employed: Working Hours

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average amount of time worked each week by self-employed people in the UK.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 July 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question about the average amount of time worked each week by self-employed people in the United Kingdom. (152618)
	The attached table gives the average usual weekly hours worked by self-employed people, for the three month period ending March 2007. These estimates have not been seasonally adjusted.
	Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Average usual weekly hours1 of work of the self-employed: United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Three months ending March 2007  Average usual hours( 1) 
			 Total 39.5 
			 Male 43.2 
			 Female 29.6 
			 1 Respondents to the LFS are asked to state the weekly hours they usually work. The figures in this table cover main jobs only and include paid and unpaid overtime.

Taxation: Gambling

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated turnover and profit of spread betters based in the UK was in 2006-07; how much tax was paid by them in that year; and whether any of them paid no tax in that year.

Angela Eagle: Revenues from general betting duty are published in the HM Revenue and Customs Betting, Gaming and Lottery Duties Bulletin, available at http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullbett but are not broken down by type of betting.

Unemployment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the rate of  (a) youth and  (b) adult (i) employment and (ii) unemployment was in (A) Jarrow constituency, (B) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and (D) the UK in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many  (a) adults,  (b) women and  (c) single parents were (i) in work and (ii) unemployed in (A) Jarrow constituency, (B) South Tyneside, (C) the North East and (D) the UK in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.

Iraq: Hezbollah

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of Hezbollah activity in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We are analysing the extent of Hizballah's involvement in Iraq and will take firm action against any armed groups in Iraq that attack our forces or otherwise seek to undermine the country's stability or the democratically elected government.

Prison Service: Uniforms

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost of the planned replacement of the uniform of prison officers working in young offender institution.

Maria Eagle: Officers working in the juvenile estate wear a relaxed style of uniform consistent with the Prison Service's approach to working with this age group. Various permutations are permitted at the discretion of Governors at prisons housing more than one category of prisoner.
	Implementation was organised locally and staged across a two year period. Any attempt to ascertain additional costs to the Prison Service would therefore be complex and would incur disproportionate costs.

Child Support Agency

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the responsibilities are of the hon. Member for Warwick and Leamington with regard to the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: My noble Friend Lord McKenzie of Luton has the policy lead for the Child Support Agency. I have portfolio responsibility for the Child Support Agency in the House of Commons.

Departments: Flint Bishop Solicitors

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have made payments to Flint Bishop solicitors since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions have no records of making any payments to a company called Flint Bishop Solicitors. However it has made payments to a company called Flint Bishop and Barnett. The information shown in the following table is for payments made to Flint Bishop mad Barnett solicitors.
	
		
			  Payments made to Flint Bishop and Barnett solicitors since 1997 to date 
			   £ 
			   Amount 
			 1997 229.13 
			 1999 4,914.73 
			 2001 1,206.00 
			 2003 8,591 .04 
			 2004 45,523.22 
			 2005 1,466.56 
			 2006 411.56

Drug Seizures

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 2073-74W, on drug seizures, what the  (a) date and  (b) weight was of each seizure referred to on page 22 of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency's Annual Report; and which agency was responsible for each seizure.

Vernon Coaker: SOCA is tasked with reducing the harm caused to the UK by serious organised crime. To this end SOCA operations are directed against the most serious organised criminal enterprises (OCEs) causing harm to the UK regardless of their location. For the reasons that the hon. Member will now understand following his recent meeting with the chair and DG of SOCA, publication of the details the hon. Member requests would assist those OCEs to evade interdiction. Many of the seizures relate to ongoing work against the OCEs involved. It is important that SOCA can continue to hide or disguise its involvement in commodity (including Class A drugs) seizures, and that those OCEs involved in drug trafficking which affects this country remain unaware of the background to activity against them by SOCA and its national and international partners.

Passports: Fraud

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps  (a) her Department and  (b) the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has taken to improve the IPS detection of passport fraud since 2001.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 23 July 2007
	Over the last six years the Identity and Passport Service has undertaken a range of initiatives to improve the prevention and detection of passport fraud. These include:
	Significantly increased security in the passport book through the development and issue from last year of the ePassport which incorporates an RF chip and other advanced physical security features.
	From 2002 the creation of a database of around 750,000 infant death records to counter frauds using dead children's identities.
	The introduction of secure delivery of passports to customers from February 2004 resulting in an 80 per cent. reduction in losses of passports in the post.
	From December 2003, improved arrangements for the reporting, recording and sharing of data on lost/stolen passports. This database of around 1 million records is now shared with UK border control and border control authorities worldwide via Interpol.
	The establishment of fraud and intelligence units in each of its seven passport issuing offices with professional, accredited training for all investigators.
	The introduction of the Passport Validation Service which enables approved government agencies to validate the status of a UK passport which has been presented to them as evidence of identity. The service is also available to organisations regulated by the Financial Services Authority that have to comply with the "Know Your Customer" statement of good practice requirements.
	On an operational level, IPS are using intelligence received and data on known frauds to actively manage passport fraud identified after the issue of the passport. It is currently investigating some 2,000 cases.
	IPS work collaboratively with the Border and Immigration Agency on (BIA) matters relating to passport fraud and with the police and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency on joint actions against those involved in passport fraud. The BIA's National Document Fraud Unit regularly provides training for IPS officers to assist them on detecting passport fraud, and works closely with IPS document experts to ensure the latest and most effective security measures are incorporated in UK passports. IPS and BIA exchange information and intelligence relating to document fraud and BIA accesses electronic records of issued, lost and stolen UK passports and notifies IPS when attempts are made to use UK passports fraudulently.
	Going forward, IPS has developed a comprehensive counter fraud strategy to combat identity fraud in the passport issuing process. This strategy includes:
	interviews for all first-time adult customers;
	checking biographical information to ensure that the identity claimed on the application form is real, living, and can be linked to the customer through cross checks against a range of public and private sector databases;
	the development of facial recognition systems to check applicant images against a database of images of suspected fraudsters;
	checking applicants against increasingly sophisticated internal watch files including the database of passports reported lost or stolen;
	strengthening its business processes for identity authentication, and training and support for passport examiners and specialist fraud units;
	utilising intelligence on known fraud patterns and enhanced capability from information sharing arrangements to conduct searches of the IPS database of 50 million passport records to identify fraud committed in the past.

Departments: Training

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by his Department on  (a) staff training and  (b) communication training in the last 12 months.

Shahid Malik: In financial year 2006-2007, the Department for International Development (DFID) spent 5.94 million on staff learning and development.
	DFID does not have the systems to identify the full range of training activity across its UK and overseas operations that fall under the banner of "communications" training. Information is only available on some of the larger-scale initiatives to improve communications capability in the last year (2006-2007). These are (with costs):
	Training to improve the DFID's capability in communicating and working with the media: £58,126 (from 6/3/06-25/7/07).
	Communications training to improve customer service in the Human Resources Division: £35,000.
	Effective writing skills for DFID's Policy Division: £27,000.
	Foreign language training: £140,500.
	Strategic communications workshops for Communications Officers across DFID: £7,620.